Pope Alexander VIII (1689–91) 17th century

This bronze medal depicting Pope Alexander the Eighth was created by Giovanni Martino Hamerani, likely in Rome, between 1689 and 1691. It’s a fascinating example of how powerful institutions like the papacy used imagery to project authority and shape public perception. The profile portrait, with its sharp detail and inscription of the Pope’s name, signals power and legitimacy. In seventeenth-century Italy, the papacy was not just a religious institution, but a major political force, deeply involved in the social and economic life of the region. Medals like this one were often distributed as gifts or souvenirs, serving as portable symbols of papal authority. They were collected by the elites. To understand this medal fully, we need to look at the history of the papacy, the role of the Vatican as a patron of the arts, and the social function of portraiture. By studying these contexts, we can begin to see how art like this was used to maintain and legitimize power.