Silver Medal of John Calvin

What it is

This is a silver medal made by Sebastian Dadler in 1641, almost eighty years after Calvin's death. It shows a profile bust of a bearded man in a flat cap and high collar, with an inscription naming Calvin and identifying him as pastor of the church in Geneva. It is held today by The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Why it matters

Because it was made long after Calvin died, this medal is not a record of what he actually looked like in life but of how he was remembered and honored by later generations. Medals like this were made to celebrate important religious figures and keep their memory alive among followers of the Reformed church.

Look closer

• Why might someone commission a medal of a religious leader decades after his death?
• What does the inscription tell you about how Calvin was identified and remembered?
• How might this portrait differ from an image made while Calvin was alive?