Michelangelo Buonarroti
Medal
1560 (made)
1560 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The portrait medal was used as a way of showing friendship, wealth and scholarship. It was inspired by double sided 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.
Michelangelo was hailed as the greatest artist of all time. Also at the time when the medal was made he was regarded as the greatest living artist. The medal was modelled in Rome in 1560 and cast Milan, from which Leoni, sent him two silver and two bronze copies of this medal. He cleaned and boxed one specially, writing ‘keep it and look after it for love of me’. Apparently Michelangelo was pleased with the medal and in gratitude he gave him a wax model of Hercules and Antaeus, now lost. The medal was widely distributed, and the portrait frequently copied. The inscription, however, is wrong: Michelangelo was then 85 not 88.
Michelangelo was hailed as the greatest artist of all time. Also at the time when the medal was made he was regarded as the greatest living artist. The medal was modelled in Rome in 1560 and cast Milan, from which Leoni, sent him two silver and two bronze copies of this medal. He cleaned and boxed one specially, writing ‘keep it and look after it for love of me’. Apparently Michelangelo was pleased with the medal and in gratitude he gave him a wax model of Hercules and Antaeus, now lost. The medal was widely distributed, and the portrait frequently copied. The inscription, however, is wrong: Michelangelo was then 85 not 88.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Michelangelo Buonarroti (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Cast bronze |
| Brief description | Medal, bronze, Michelangelo Buonarotti, by Leone Leoni, Italy, 1560 |
| Physical description | This medal depicts on the obverse the bust to the right of Michelangelo. Inscription. On the reverse a blind man, half naked, walking to the right, led by a dog. He carries a staff in his right hand and a flask hung on his arm. Inscription. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | From the Salting bequest. |
| Production | Modelled in Rome cast in Milan |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | The portrait medal was used as a way of showing friendship, wealth and scholarship. It was inspired by double sided 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. Michelangelo was hailed as the greatest artist of all time. Also at the time when the medal was made he was regarded as the greatest living artist. The medal was modelled in Rome in 1560 and cast Milan, from which Leoni, sent him two silver and two bronze copies of this medal. He cleaned and boxed one specially, writing ‘keep it and look after it for love of me’. Apparently Michelangelo was pleased with the medal and in gratitude he gave him a wax model of Hercules and Antaeus, now lost. The medal was widely distributed, and the portrait frequently copied. The inscription, however, is wrong: Michelangelo was then 85 not 88. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.248-1910 |
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| Record created | June 11, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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