Cosimo de' Medici, 1389-1464, Pater Patriae [obverse]

Florentine 15th Century

National Gallery of Art

Cast in low relief, a cleanshaven man with a lined face and sagging jowls faces our left in profile on this round bronze medallion. His long nose points down at the end and wrinkles line his forehead. The corner of his mouth that we see is turned slightly down. His short hair is mostly covered by a brimless cap that flares slightly out away from the crown, and he wears a high-necked garment. An inscription around the perimeter of the medallion reads, “COSMVS MEDICE S DECRETO PVBLICO PP.”