According to Hill, Lodovico Luti 'is presumably the man, an
enemy of Pandolfo Petrucci, who was murdered in Florence on 26
June 1498'. Petrucci was the brutal tyrant who ruled Siena
between 1487 and 1512. Niccolò's medal identifies Luti 'of
Siena'; from his clothing he may have been a merchant. It is not
possible to tell if this is a posthumous portrait, although
given Luti's fate the motto on the reverse seems particularly
pertinent - prius mori qua turpari, or 'rather death than
dishonour'. Niccolò's work has been characterised as follows:
Whatever the size of the medal, the portrait is distinctive and
confident, dominating the circular field, although in most cases
the lettering is not as elegant. Each head is strongly
individualized and modelled in fairly high relief. The
economical style includes the essential contours and features,
while conveying a feeling for the plasticity of flesh and the
bone structure that brings the subjects to life, despite their
presentation in strict and impersonal profile. Fe