Medal: Giovanni Antonio de' Conti 1471 - 1500

This bronze medal portraying Giovanni Antonio de’ Conti was created in Italy, around 1470, by Niccolò Fiorentino. In Renaissance Italy, portrait medals served as both personal mementos and political tools, reflecting humanist ideals and civic identity. The image presents a profile of Giovanni Antonio, surrounded by an inscription denoting his name and status. The medal’s materiality is significant; bronze was a valued material and its use indicates the subject’s status. The imagery is rendered with precise detail. Note the sharp lines of his features and the textures of his clothing, achieved through casting. Medals like these, produced outside traditional religious or courtly settings, began to shape a new visual culture. They reflect a society increasingly concerned with individual achievement and legacy. Historians examine letters, diaries, and public records to better understand the individuals portrayed and the context in which these medals circulated. This medal testifies to the evolving social landscape of Renaissance Italy.