Bartolommeo Colleone of Bergamo, 1400-1475, Condottiere [obverse] after 1455

This portrait of Bartolommeo Colleone was made in Italy around 1475 by Marco Guidizani, and it is cast in bronze. The dense, weighty nature of the material lends an air of permanence and authority to the image, traits we can see in the sharp profile of the sitter. In Renaissance Italy, bronze casting was a highly valued skill. Like goldsmithing or sculpture, it demanded careful work at every stage, from the making of molds to the final polishing. While this particular bronze doesn't have the finesse of a fine art sculpture, it does share a connection to that tradition. We can view it as a reminder that all objects, whether artworks or functional items, are the result of skilled human labor. Appreciating this connection allows us to look past traditional boundaries between art and craft, and better understand the social context in which all objects are made.