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Francesco II Gonzaga

Medal
ca. 1500 - ca. 1505 (made)
Artist/Maker
Cavalli, Gian Marco (medallist)
Place of origin
Mantua (made)

This medal depicting the bust of Francesco II Gonzaga, the forth Marchese of Mantua, is attributed to Gian Marco Cavalli.

Cavalli (before 1454-after 1508) was an Italian medallist, sculptor and goldsmith. From 1497 he worked for the Mantuan mint. Cavalli worked as a sculptor and medallist for the Gonzaga family from 1501 to 1505.


Object details

Categories
Coins & Medals
Portraits
Sculpture
Object type
Medal
TitleFrancesco II Gonzaga (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, bust of Francesco II Gonzaga, ascribed to Gian Marco Cavalli, Italy (Mantua), ca. 1500-1505
Physical description
This medal depicts on the obverse the bareheaded bust of Francesco II Gonzaga, Marquess of Mantua. He is represented with a pointed beard and dressed in a cuirass. On the reverse is a figure of the Marquess distributing gifts. Here is clad in all' antica armour, standing on a garlanded base, giving three ears of corn to a toga'd figure, while a bald-headed supplicant approaches on the left. Behind stands a helmeted female figure carrying a palm. Inscriptions on both sides.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 3.49cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'LIBERALI / TAS' 'DIVINVUM DARE HUMANVUM ACCIP[ERE]' (Inscribed on the reverse.)
    Translation
    'Liberality' 'it is divine to give and human to receive'
  • 'FRANCISCVS . MAR . MANTVE . IIII' (Inscribed on the obverse.)
Object history
Bought, 12s. in 1863.
Subjects depicted
Bust
Gonzaga, Francesco II
Summary
This medal depicting the bust of Francesco II Gonzaga, the forth Marchese of Mantua, is attributed to Gian Marco Cavalli.

Cavalli (before 1454-after 1508) was an Italian medallist, sculptor and goldsmith. From 1497 he worked for the Mantuan mint. Cavalli worked as a sculptor and medallist for the Gonzaga family from 1501 to 1505.
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1863. 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. 39
  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance, Before Cellini, Volume I, Text. London: British Museum, 1930, p. 62, no. 241
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
7911-1863

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O313553/francesco-ii-gonzaga-medal-cavalli-gian-marco/
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