Isabella Trotti Negrisoli

Art Historical Context

This elegant bronze medal, created in 1556 the renowned Italian medallist Pastorino de’ Pastorini (also called Pastorino da Siena), captures the likeness of Isabella Trotti Negrisoli. Measuring just over two inches in diameter, the small scale was typical of Renaissance portrait medals, which were designed to be held in the hand, exchanged as tokens of friendship or alliance, and preserved as lasting mementos. Pastorino, active in Siena and other Italian courts, specialized in such intimate works. He employed the lost-wax casting technique to achieve remarkably fine detail in bronze, allowing subtle modeling of hair, costume, and expression. These medals blended sculpture and miniature portraiture, reflecting the Renaissance fascination with individual identity and classical antiquity. Today in the National Gallery of Art’s Samuel H. Kress Collection, the piece offers visitors a tangible connection to sixteenth-century Italian society, where personal commemoration and artistic skill converged in a durable, portable form.