Charles V (1500–1558)

This portrait medal depicts Emperor Charles V at age forty-four, wearing the collar of the Order of the Golden Fleece and holding the imperial orb and scepter. The high relief of the head and right hand and the protrusion of the scepter beyond the circular frame create an illusion of three-dimensionality rare in medallic art. Reinhart was one of the period’s finest medalists. The beautiful heraldic reverse demonstrates his virtuosity in the precise handling of detail.

Credit: Dr. Stephen K. and Janie Woo Scher Collection