Lucrezia de' Medici, 1545-1561, Daughter of Cosimo I, First Wife of Alfonso II d'Este 1558 [reverse] c. 1558

This bronze medal, depicting Lucrezia de' Medici, was created by Domenico Poggini sometime between 1545 and 1561. It is made through the process of casting, an ancient technology involving molten metal poured into a mold. The choice of bronze as a material is significant. Unlike gold or silver, which speak of intrinsic value and wealth, bronze emphasizes the skill of the artist. Its warm color and smooth texture allow for a high level of detail, as seen in Lucrezia’s elaborate dress and hairstyle. The use of casting as a method allowed Poggini to create multiple copies of the medal, hinting at early forms of mass production and distribution. Medals like these were not simply decorative, they were tools of power, made to broadcast the prestige of the sitter and, by extension, the authority of the families they represented. Ultimately, it reminds us of the close connection between artistic skill, political ambition, and the burgeoning economies of Renaissance Italy.