Lodovico Ariosto of Ferrara (1474–1533) 1550 - 1560

Curator: Immediately, I’m drawn in. What strikes you first about this piece? Editor: There's a hushed quality to it, almost ghostly, the way the light falls. It makes you feel like you’re peering into a hidden story, or maybe a forgotten memory. Is this some kind of coin or badge? Curator: In a way, yes. It’s a bronze relief medal of Lodovico Ariosto, the celebrated Renaissance poet, by Pastorino de Pastorini. Created sometime between 1550 and 1560, it’s a portrait—and a rather intimate one, at that—currently held by the Met. Editor: Bronze whispers permanence, doesn't it? Ariosto’s profile is quite striking. But what about the other side, with the column and foliage? Curator: The reverse offers another layer. The pillar and what looks to be vegetation above it, along with the inscription 'PRO BONO MALUM', which translates roughly to 'Evil for Good'. I always find it compelling when an artist like Pastorino pairs portraiture with symbolic imagery. Editor: Oh, I love that tension. What does it signify? Ariosto sacrificing himself for some greater cause? Curator: It’s definitely open to interpretation. Perhaps Ariosto saw his creative endeavors—his poetry—as a means of enduring hardship, or that the pursuit of good sometimes entails encountering evil. It resonates, that feeling. Creating something beautiful often feels like battling chaos. Editor: Exactly. And even his very classical profile seems infused with a touch of melancholy. Look at the details in his hair, the sensitive carving of his face... it speaks of someone deeply thoughtful. A portrait not just of a man, but of a soul. Curator: And there's a certain bravery to commemorate Ariosto like this on a medal – as if to underscore the value of creativity, of art, as something precious, a victory to be celebrated, something akin to winning. Editor: Absolutely, to give poetry a solid form is the triumph of the medal itself. After contemplating this, I feel as if the image stays with you and that it invites continued thought after walking away from it. Curator: Me too, I can imagine carrying that around in my pocket, its weight being more about the words of Ariosto, and the message it sends. It gives you the fuel and inspiration to push forward.