Czech portrait medal of the past and present

This diploma thesis deals with Czech portrait medals in the past and present. The aim was to map Czech medal portrait work from its origins in the Renaissance to the present. At the beginning, the work is focused on the precious metals from which the medals are made, gold and silver. The history of gold and silver is included in the theory. The concepts of numismatics or commemorative medals made of gold and silver as investment preservation of real value are clarified. We were interested in the overall artistic process of producing portrait medal into the final product. The historical development of medals in the Czech lands followed. In each period, important artists, medalists, and their work are mentioned. All chapters contain pictorial materials. The practical part is devoted to all existing mintages of Karel Gott, which is a unique medal investment. Along with him, contemporary medal artists are characterized in more detail. In the end, the first findings about the portrait medal are summarized. The work brings an overall view of portrait medal work. Medal making represents a specific area of fine and sculptural art. It is an artistic artifact that reflects our history. KEYWORDS medal, gold, silver, portrait medal, commemorative medal, numismatics, art mintage, collectin