Currency of Diplomacy: Friendship, Propaganda and the Power of Renaissance Portrait Medals

Wednesday Lecture, on Zoom and at the British Institute Library

by  Paola Vojnovic

 

Portrait medals, often forgotten in the dusty shelves of the museums, were once amongst the most intimate objects produced in the Renaissance.  Meant to be held in the hand and studied up close, these precious artifacts provided an incredible amount of information about the person represented. 

This lecture looks at the  production of portrait medals by Lorenzo il Magnifico de' Medici’s household artist,  Bertoldo di Giovanni (a celebrated, but forgotten, student of Donatello) and others. 

Along the way we will get fascinating insight into the diplomatic networks of Lorenzo's court, by examining a special gift made for the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II who conquered Constantinople in 1453.

 

If you are in Florence and would like to attend the lecture in person at the British Institute Library, please register here.  Only the first 20 registrations can be accepted. Please note, only people with confirmed registrations can attend the lecture in person. The cost is 10 Euro per person.

To join this  lecture with Zoom (no reservation necessary), simply click on this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83386004350?pwd=TVlIWlVIdTFkdHQzRkZHN2ovRmY3QT09 at 18:00 on Wednesday 8th September. 

A recording of the virtual lecture will be published on our YouTube channel. Clicking on the link above, you authorise the British Institute of Florence to use your image, name and comments.
 
There is no charge to attend the event on Zoom, but we ask you to consider making a donation to support the Institute and its beautiful library if you wish to attend an event.

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