Charles V (1500–1558), Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire (1519–56)
A round relief portrait medallion shows a bearded man in profile facing right, wearing a laurel wreath and a draped mantle fastened at the shoulder. The lettering around the rim reads IMP CAES CAROLVS V AVG. The surface is cast in a fine, even relief with crisp curls and a textured beard.
Look closer: A small lion's head ornament is at the bottom center of the mantle, near the chest.
- Artist
- Unknown
- Date
- 16th century
- Medium
- Gilt bronze
- Source
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Size
- 1600 × 1600 px
Public domain · The Metropolitan Museum of Art releases this image under CC0 (latest date 1600).
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (The Met Open Access, isPublicDomain=true)
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: CC0 (The Met Open Access, isPublicDomain=true)
Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Bequest of Rupert L. Joseph, 1959