Gasparo Mola

Gasparo Mola was an Italian artist active during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, with a documented working period spanning from 1590 to 1638. Mola specialized in metalwork, a medium essential for commemorative and high-status pieces commissioned by powerful European patrons of the era.

His surviving output confirms his connection to major Italian ruling families and the Papacy. Mola created works related to key political figures, including Cosimo II de' Medici, who served as the Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1608 to 1620, and Charles Emanuel I, the Duke of Savoy from 1580 to 1630. A particularly notable area of his documented production centered on Pope Urban VIII, who reigned from 1623 to 1644, indicating Mola received patronage directly from the highest ranks of the Catholic Church.

Mola’s historical significance is established by the preservation of his work in institutional settings. Currently, six of his detailed metalworks are represented in museum collections, including important holdings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These museum-quality artifacts provide critical insight into Baroque patronage and medallic arts. Due to the age of the works and their historical importance, images related to Gasparo Mola prints and renderings of his work are frequently available as high-quality prints through public domain resources.