Description
Portrait medals of the 1500s usually show the subject in profile, attesting to the influence of Roman imperial coins; however, this three-quarter portrait is adapted from a painting by Lucas Cranach (1472-1553) who produced many fine works for the dukes of Saxony. The sword that the duke holds prominently, a symbol of his power, moves beyond the "frame" in a display of pictorial illusionism. Examples of this medal, commissioned to be given as gifts, could be worn from a chain or ribbon around the neck to declare allegiance to Duke Johann Friedrich. Reinhart's medals are among some of the finest works of the German Renaissance.
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