The medium medal was still relatively young in Renaissance and rapidly developed into one of the important artistic genres next to painting, printing and sculpture. Sculpture’s ‘little sister’ offered next to portrait painting the possibility to record the likeness of the commissioner for posterity and at the same time to give insights into his surroundings and ideology on the elaborately designed back of the medal. Based on its advantages, such as its easy reproducibility and its mobility, the medal became a favourite gift, was exchanged or collected. In the 16th century, an increasing number of sculptors and goldsmiths became interested in medal art. They battled with each other in a “competition in ore”. Southern Germany, imperial cities such as Augsburg and Nuremberg, but also Saxony developed into leading regions in the creation of medals and produced many major artists as well.
The coin cabinets in Munich, Vienna and Dresden call many important objects their own. Following the idea of the “paragon”, the competition between the arts, the shared exhibition project focusses on portrait medals that date from the Renaissance era. With the help of selected objects, it further documents the competition between artists, their commissioners and collectors.
