Medal
Medal
1506 (made)
1506 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The portrait medal was used as a way of showing friendship, wealth and scholarship. It was inspired by doublesided Roman coins, which usually had a portrait of the emperor on one side and Latin inscriptions on both sides. Renaissance medals had a portrait on the obverse (front) and often a motto or allegorical figure on the reverse, underlining the qualities of the person shown in the portrait.
A clean-shaven Julius II is shown here in contrast to later, more familiar images
of him with a long white beard. The reverse shows the basilica of St Peter in the Vatican, which he began to rebuild in 1506. Julius was a great patron of the arts, commissioning work from Bramante, Michelangelo and Raphael.
A clean-shaven Julius II is shown here in contrast to later, more familiar images
of him with a long white beard. The reverse shows the basilica of St Peter in the Vatican, which he began to rebuild in 1506. Julius was a great patron of the arts, commissioning work from Bramante, Michelangelo and Raphael.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Medal |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Medal, bronze, Julius II, Facade of St Peter's. |
| Physical description | Medal of bronze, struck from a die. Julius II (Giuliano della Rovere), b. 1441: elected Pope in 1503. d. 1513. Obv. IVLIVS LIGVR PAPA SECVNDVS. Bust to right, wearing a cope and bare headed. Rev. VATICANVS M. Facade of St Peter's at Rome. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Bought for 2s. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | The portrait medal was used as a way of showing friendship, wealth and scholarship. It was inspired by doublesided Roman coins, which usually had a portrait of the emperor on one side and Latin inscriptions on both sides. Renaissance medals had a portrait on the obverse (front) and often a motto or allegorical figure on the reverse, underlining the qualities of the person shown in the portrait. A clean-shaven Julius II is shown here in contrast to later, more familiar images of him with a long white beard. The reverse shows the basilica of St Peter in the Vatican, which he began to rebuild in 1506. Julius was a great patron of the arts, commissioning work from Bramante, Michelangelo and Raphael. |
| Bibliographic reference | List of Objects in the Art Division South Kensington Museum acquired during the Year 1893. Arranged according to the dates of acquisition, with appendix and indices. London: Eyre and Spottiswoode, 1894. pp. 162. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 1228-1893 |
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| Record created | January 5, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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