Not currently on display at the V&A

Ludovico Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua, on Horseback

Medallion
ca. 1447-1448 (made)
Artist/Maker
Pisanello (artist)
Place of origin
Italy (made)

This bronze medallion depicting Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua, on horseback, is made by Pisanello in Italy, probably in ca. 1447-1948.

Born Pisa or Verona, by 1395. Italian painter, draughtsman and medallist. His richly decorative frescoes, courtly and elegant 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.


Object details

Categories
Plaques & Plaquettes
Sculpture
Object type
Medallion
TitleLudovico Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua, on Horseback
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Medallion plaque, depicting Ludovico de Gonzaga, by Pisanello, Italy, probably 1447-1448
Physical description
Medallion plaque depicts: Obv.: none
Rev.: Lodovico III Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua, on horeseback
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 10.16cm
Marks and inscriptions
Rev.: .OPUS.PISANI.PICTO / RIS
Subjects depicted
Horse
Flower
Suns
Ludovico III De Gonzaga
Summary
This bronze medallion depicting Ludovico III Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua, on horseback, is made by Pisanello in Italy, probably in ca. 1447-1948.

Born Pisa or Verona, by 1395. Italian painter, draughtsman and medallist. His richly decorative frescoes, courtly and elegant 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.
Associated object
A.166-1910 (Version)
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1860. In: Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, Arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol I. London: Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 28
  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance, Before Cellini, Volume I, Text. London: British Museum, 1930, p. 11
  • Pisanello. Le Peintre aux sept vertus. (exh. cat), medal entries by Sylvie de Turckheim-Pey, pp. 406-7, cat. No. 286, illus. p . 410 Paris, 1996 (Musée du Louvre, Paris).
  • Syson, Luke and Gordon, Dillian.Pisanello: Painter to the Renaissance Court, London : National Gallery Co., 2001 4
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
7137-1860

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Record createdAugust 28, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O166367/ludovico-gonzaga-marquess-of-mantua-medallion-pisanello/
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