Isabella d'Este thumbnail 1
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at V&A South Kensington
Medieval & Renaissance, Room 64, The Wolfson Gallery

Isabella d'Este

Medal
ca.1495 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Isabella d’Este married into the wealthy Gonzaga dynasty, and was also an important patron and collector in her own right. She probably commissioned this medal in 1495, when Romano was sculptor and musician to her sister Beatrice, Duchess of Milan.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleIsabella d'Este (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Cast bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, Isabella d'Este, by Gian Cristoforo Romano, Italy, ca. 1495
Physical description
Medal depicts on the obverse the bust to the right of Isabella, wearing a necklace. Inscription. On the reverse Astrology, a winged female figure, draped, holding a rod in her right hand. At her feet to the left a serpent, and above a star and the sign of Sagittarius. Inscription.
Dimensions
  • Depth: 0.4cm
  • Diameter: 4cm
  • Weight: 0.02kg
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'ISABELLA ESTEN MARCH . MANTVAE' (obverse)
    Translation
    Isabella d'Este Marchioness of Mantua
  • 'BENEMOERE NTIVM ERGO' (reverse)
    Translation
    Because of those who favoured me
Credit line
Salting bequest
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Isabella d’Este married into the wealthy Gonzaga dynasty, and was also an important patron and collector in her own right. She probably commissioned this medal in 1495, when Romano was sculptor and musician to her sister Beatrice, Duchess of Milan.
Bibliographic references
  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance, Before Cellini, Volume I, Text. London: British Museum, 1930, no. 221
  • 'Salting Bequest (A. 70 to A. 1029-1910) / Murray Bequest (A. 1030 to A. 1096-1910)'. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (Department of Architecture and Sculpture). London: Printed under the Authority of his Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, East Harding Street, EC, p. 30
  • Chambers, David and Martineau, Jane (eds.), Splendours of the Gonzaga : Catalogue, London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1981 no.109
Collection
Accession number
A.232-1910

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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