Lorenzo "the Magnificent" died on May 7, 1492. A death mask was made—by that time common in Florence (in imitation of ancient Roman practice). This mask has been ascribed to Orsino Benintendi, a colleague of Verrocchio’s who made lifesize wax effigies as church votives. The face was once gilded and the head was crowned with laurel—a play on Lorenzo’s name and an acknowledgment of his poetry. The death mask reminds us of the overlap between actual and commemorative images. Particularly poignant is the combination of a "real" face with verses recalling how, "while alive, he had held everything in peace."
