Leonello d'Este
Medal
ca. 1443 (made)
ca. 1443 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a bronze medal made by Antonio Pisano (Pisanello) in Italy, about 1443. The obverse of this medal represents Leonello d'Este, the Marquess of Ferrara, and the reverse shows two naked men seated before a spreading sail.
Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) (b.ca. 1395; d. 1455) who was born in Pisa or Verona, by 1395 was an Italian painter, draughtsman and medallist. His richly decorative frescoes, courtly and elegantly painted portraits and highly original portrait medals made him one of the most popular artists of the day. He travelled extensively and worked for several Italian courts, at Mantua, Ferrara, Pavia, Milan and Naples. Many of his paintings have been lost or damaged, making a reconstruction of his career difficult. He is now better known as a medallist.
Two-sided Renaissance portrait medals were a form developed by Pisanello, and commemorated individuals or events and functioned as gifts and mementoes. They were inspired by the Roman coins, with their portraits of rulers and allegorical representations on the reverse, excavated all over Italy and eagerly collected by humanist scholars.
Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) (b.ca. 1395; d. 1455) who was born in Pisa or Verona, by 1395 was an Italian painter, draughtsman and medallist. His richly decorative frescoes, courtly and elegantly painted portraits and highly original portrait medals made him one of the most popular artists of the day. He travelled extensively and worked for several Italian courts, at Mantua, Ferrara, Pavia, Milan and Naples. Many of his paintings have been lost or damaged, making a reconstruction of his career difficult. He is now better known as a medallist.
Two-sided Renaissance portrait medals were a form developed by Pisanello, and commemorated individuals or events and functioned as gifts and mementoes. They were inspired by the Roman coins, with their portraits of rulers and allegorical representations on the reverse, excavated all over Italy and eagerly collected by humanist scholars.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Leonello d'Este (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Medal, bronze, Leonello d'Este/two naked men, by Antonio Pisanello, Italian, ca. 1443 |
| 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 by Antonio Pisano (Pisanello) in Italy, about 1443. The obverse of this medal represents Leonello d'Este, the Marquess of Ferrara, and the reverse shows two naked men seated before a spreading sail. Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) (b.ca. 1395; d. 1455) who was born in Pisa or Verona, by 1395 was an Italian painter, draughtsman and medallist. His richly decorative frescoes, courtly and elegantly painted portraits and highly original portrait medals made him one of the most popular artists of the day. He travelled extensively and worked for several Italian courts, at Mantua, Ferrara, Pavia, Milan and Naples. Many of his paintings have been lost or damaged, making a reconstruction of his career difficult. He is now better known as a medallist. Two-sided Renaissance portrait medals were a form developed by Pisanello, and commemorated individuals or events and functioned as gifts and mementoes. They were inspired by the Roman coins, with their portraits of rulers and allegorical representations on the reverse, excavated all over Italy and eagerly collected by humanist scholars. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | 677-1865 |
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| Record created | April 29, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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