In the fifteenth century, the Italian artist Pisanello invented a new way of commemorating individuals through portraiture: the portrait medal. Made in bronze or other precious metals, these small, coin-like objects were portable and easily reproducible. In this video, we explore Pisanello’s portrait medal of Leonello d’Este, ruler of the Italian city-state of Ferrara in Italy. Serving as a stand-in for Leonello, his portrait medal communicated important ideas about who he was and how he wanted to be seen and remembered.

Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham

This video is perfect for anyone looking to learn more about:

• Portraiture

• Medals and metallurgy

• The Italian renaissance

• Art History

• Early modern history

CHAPTERS

0:00 Leonello d’Este’s portrait

0:58 Pisanello: Inventor of the Portrait Medal

1:06 What is a portrait medal?

1:16 The obverse of Leonello’s medal

2:17 The reverse of Leonello’s medal

2:55 What are medals made of?

3:01 Medals come in multiples

3:14 How are medals different from coins?

Learn more

• Check out our entire glossary of art history: https://www.artsq.org/about-key-terms-ideas-art-history

• Learn more about early modern Europe, including the Italian Renaissance: https://www.artsq.org/early-modern-europe