Cardinal Trivulzio
Medal
16th century (made)
16th century (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
This is a bronze medal made in the 16th century in Italy. The obverse of this medal represents Cardinal Trivulzio with a legend and the reverse shows a female figure holding in her hands a mirror and a pair of compasses. There is also a cockatrice in her feet.
The female figure represents Prudence, being one of the four Cardinal Virtues. The mirror she holds appears frequently in Renaissance art and symbolizes the wise man's ability to see himself as he really is. The compasses refer to her measured judgement, The figure derived from a classical source, either the Dancing Maidens from the Villa Borghese in Rome, now in the Louvre, or possibly an antique gem.
The female figure represents Prudence, being one of the four Cardinal Virtues. The mirror she holds appears frequently in Renaissance art and symbolizes the wise man's ability to see himself as he really is. The compasses refer to her measured judgement, The figure derived from a classical source, either the Dancing Maidens from the Villa Borghese in Rome, now in the Louvre, or possibly an antique gem.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Cardinal Trivulzio (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Bronze |
Brief description | Medal, bronze, bust of Cardinal Trivulzio, Italian, 16th century |
Dimensions |
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Object history | Bought from the Soulages Collection in 1865, for £3. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | This is a bronze medal made in the 16th century in Italy. The obverse of this medal represents Cardinal Trivulzio with a legend and the reverse shows a female figure holding in her hands a mirror and a pair of compasses. There is also a cockatrice in her feet. The female figure represents Prudence, being one of the four Cardinal Virtues. The mirror she holds appears frequently in Renaissance art and symbolizes the wise man's ability to see himself as he really is. The compasses refer to her measured judgement, The figure derived from a classical source, either the Dancing Maidens from the Villa Borghese in Rome, now in the Louvre, or possibly an antique gem. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | 659-1865 |
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Record created | April 29, 2008 |
Record URL |
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