Aurora Riding through the Heavens [reverse]

Art Historical Context

Behold the exquisite bronze plaquette *Aurora Riding through the [reverse]* (1552) by Jacopo Nizzola da Trezzo, a master Italian sculptor and medallist of the Renaissance. Crafted as a small, intimate object—just 6.93 cm in diameter and weighing under 100 grams—this piece exemplifies the era's fascination with classical mythology and virtuoso metalwork. Da Trezzo, active in Milan and later at the Spanish court of Philip II, was renowned for his intricate bronze medals and reliefs, blending High Renaissance elegance with emerging Mannerist flair. On the reverse, the goddess Aurora soars triumphantly through the skies, her chariot drawn by winged horses in a dynamic burst of motion. This allegorical scene, rooted in Ovid's *Metamorphoses*, symbolizes the dawn's renewal—a popular Renaissance motif evoking hope and the triumph of light over darkness. The high-relief modeling and fine chasing techniques showcase da Trezzo's skill in casting, where molten bronze captures ethereal drapery and anatomical grace with lifelike precision. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Samuel H. Kress Collection, this gem highlights the Renaissance revival of ancient themes through portable luxury art. Medals like this were prized by collectors as scholarly talismans, bridging antiquity and the modern age in a single, shimmering disk.