Vittorino de' Rambaldoni da Feltre, 1379-1446, Humanist [obverse] c. 1446

This bronze portrait medal of Vittorino da Feltre was created by Pisanello in the mid-15th century, during the Italian Renaissance. The making of bronze medals like this one involved a sophisticated lost-wax casting process. First, a wax model would have been meticulously carved, capturing the likeness of the sitter and details of their clothing. This model was then encased in clay, heated to melt away the wax, and molten bronze poured into the resulting void. Once cooled, the clay mold would be broken to reveal the final medal, requiring further finishing and polishing. The appeal of medals at this time was their portability. They could be collected and shared among humanist circles. The creation of this medal speaks to the elevated status of humanist scholars during the Renaissance. It also reminds us that skills we now associate with craft, like bronze casting, were integral to artistic expression, and tied to social networks.