medal summary

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Below is the article summary. For the full article, see medal.

Henry IV and Marie de Médicis portrayed on the obverse side of a bronze-gilt medal by Guillaume Dupré, 1603; in the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

medal, Piece of metal struck with a design to commemorate a person, place, or event. Medals can be of various sizes and shapes, ranging from large medallions to small plaques, or plaquettes. Most medals are made of gold, silver, bronze, or lead, the precious metals being used for the finer productions. The art of the medalist began in the mid-15th century with bronze medals of Italian Renaissance rulers and humanists. Some of the most beautiful were made by Benvenuto Cellini.

Benvenuto Cellini Summary

Benvenuto Cellini was a Florentine sculptor, goldsmith, and writer. He was one of the most important Mannerist artists and, because of the lively account of himself and his period in his autobiography, one of the most picturesque figures of the Renaissance. Cellini, resisting the efforts of his