Collection: Alessandro Cesati, called Il Grechetto

Renaissance master of classical glyptic art and exquisite numismatic design

Alessandro Cesati, celebrated under the moniker Il Grechetto, stands as one of the most illustrious masters of glyptic art and medal engraving from the Italian Renaissance. Active in sixteenth-century Rome, his work epitomizes the era's profound reverence for classical antiquity, translating the monumental grandeur of ancient sculpture into the intimate, exacting scale of carved gemstones and relief medals.

Renowned for an extraordinary precision that earned the highest praise from Giorgio Vasari, Cesati’s stylistic signature lies in his fluid handling of hardstone and metal. His compositions exhibit a rare synthesis of classical symmetry and Mannerist elegance, capturing delicate profiles, intricate drapery, and mythological allegories with unparalleled refinement.