Tommaso Rangone
Medal
ca. 1558 (made)
ca. 1558 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This medal depicting Tommaso Rangone of Ravenna is made by Alessandro Vittoria.
Rangone (1493-1577) was one of the intellectual figures of his time, Professor of Philosophy and Astronomy at Padua, later a Physician in Venice, and a leading patron of artists. This medal is considered a masterpiece by Vittoria and is arguably the most beautiful medal ever made by a Venetian sculptor. The great bronze statue of the subject on the façade of S. Giuliano, Venice, was modelled by Vittoria to Sansovino's design in 1555 and delivered in 1557.
The reverse appears to represent an allegory of Virtue, perhaps referring to Rangone's public role.
Vittoria (1525-1608) was an Italian sculptor, stuccoist and architect. In the second half of the 16th century he became one of the most important sculptors active in Venice. On his arrival in Venice in 1543 he worked for Jacopo Sansovino (1486-1570). He left Venice for Vicenza for a period of around 6 years. Apart from that and another short stay in 1576-77 when he worked in Brescia and Vicenca again to avoid the plaque, he remained in Venice until his death. He is buried in the church of S. Zaccaria, where there is also a marble self-portrait bust as part of the monument. Portrait busts form a large part of his oevre.
Rangone (1493-1577) was one of the intellectual figures of his time, Professor of Philosophy and Astronomy at Padua, later a Physician in Venice, and a leading patron of artists. This medal is considered a masterpiece by Vittoria and is arguably the most beautiful medal ever made by a Venetian sculptor. The great bronze statue of the subject on the façade of S. Giuliano, Venice, was modelled by Vittoria to Sansovino's design in 1555 and delivered in 1557.
The reverse appears to represent an allegory of Virtue, perhaps referring to Rangone's public role.
Vittoria (1525-1608) was an Italian sculptor, stuccoist and architect. In the second half of the 16th century he became one of the most important sculptors active in Venice. On his arrival in Venice in 1543 he worked for Jacopo Sansovino (1486-1570). He left Venice for Vicenza for a period of around 6 years. Apart from that and another short stay in 1576-77 when he worked in Brescia and Vicenca again to avoid the plaque, he remained in Venice until his death. He is buried in the church of S. Zaccaria, where there is also a marble self-portrait bust as part of the monument. Portrait busts form a large part of his oevre.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Tommaso Rangone (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Bronze |
| Brief description | Medal, bronze, portrait of Tommaso Rangone / an allegory of Virtue, by Alessandro Vittoria, Italian, 1558 |
| Physical description | Obverse: Profile portrait bust of Tommaso Rangone to right; bearded and wearing cloak. Inscribed. Reverse: A female figure with flowing robes places a garland around the horns of a bull, both standing in a grassy field; above, God the Father emerges to left from a blazing cloud, arms stretched wide; a scroll decoration in the exergue. Inscribed around the border. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Object history | Bought (together with A.6 & A.7-1976) from R.G.Coats for £380, in 1976. The individual price set for this medal was £240. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This medal depicting Tommaso Rangone of Ravenna is made by Alessandro Vittoria. Rangone (1493-1577) was one of the intellectual figures of his time, Professor of Philosophy and Astronomy at Padua, later a Physician in Venice, and a leading patron of artists. This medal is considered a masterpiece by Vittoria and is arguably the most beautiful medal ever made by a Venetian sculptor. The great bronze statue of the subject on the façade of S. Giuliano, Venice, was modelled by Vittoria to Sansovino's design in 1555 and delivered in 1557. The reverse appears to represent an allegory of Virtue, perhaps referring to Rangone's public role. Vittoria (1525-1608) was an Italian sculptor, stuccoist and architect. In the second half of the 16th century he became one of the most important sculptors active in Venice. On his arrival in Venice in 1543 he worked for Jacopo Sansovino (1486-1570). He left Venice for Vicenza for a period of around 6 years. Apart from that and another short stay in 1576-77 when he worked in Brescia and Vicenca again to avoid the plaque, he remained in Venice until his death. He is buried in the church of S. Zaccaria, where there is also a marble self-portrait bust as part of the monument. Portrait busts form a large part of his oevre. |
| Bibliographic reference | Huffman Lanzoni, Kristin, 'New Light on Renaissance faces: Alessandro Vittoria, Portrait Medals and Fashioning Images', in: The Medal, no. 56, Spring 2010, pp. 37-46 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | A.5-1976 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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