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Not currently on display at the V&A

Pietro Lauro

Medal
1555 (made)
Artist/Maker
Vittoria, Alessandro (designed and made)
Place of origin
Venice (made)

This medal depicts Pietro Lauro, a poet from Modena. It is made by Alessandro Vittoria. The signature on the reverse IAVF, includes AVF - Alessandro Vittoria Fecit ('A. V. made it'). The 'I' could stand for imago ('[This]likeness). Many other portrait medals were signed IAVEE by other medallists too, which then meant: IMAGO AD VIVA[M] EFFIGIE[M] EXPRESSA (this likeness was rendered from the living semblance). Vittoria may thus have intended two alternative readings of his inscription.
The medal was formerly ascribed to a medallist signing I.A.V.F.


Object details

Categories
Coins & Medals
Portraits
Sculpture
Object type
Medal
TitlePietro Lauro (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, Pietro Lauro, by Alessandro Vittoria, Italy (Venice), dated 1555
Physical description
Medal depicts on the obverse the bust to the right of Lauro, bearded. The inscription forms an acrostic. On the reverse an inscription within a wreath formed by two laurel branches. The first letters which are larger, form an acrostic.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 5.7cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'P. LAVRVS / P. LVCET ALMA VIRTVS RAMIS VIRENS SEMPER . C.V.47 / I.A.V.F' (obverse)
    Translation
    Beautiful virtue, forever flourishing in its boughs, shines
  • 'CAMILLVS . V / CEDATVR A MORTE INIQVE LACESSENTES LINGVE VIPERIBVS SIMILES . V . 1555' (reverse)
    Translation
    May the tongues that cause harm unfairly and are like vipers be removed by death
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Production
formerly ascribed to a medallist signing I.A.V.F.
Subject depicted
Lauro, Pietro
Summary
This medal depicts Pietro Lauro, a poet from Modena. It is made by Alessandro Vittoria. The signature on the reverse IAVF, includes AVF - Alessandro Vittoria Fecit ('A. V. made it'). The 'I' could stand for imago ('[This]likeness). Many other portrait medals were signed IAVEE by other medallists too, which then meant: IMAGO AD VIVA[M] EFFIGIE[M] EXPRESSA (this likeness was rendered from the living semblance). Vittoria may thus have intended two alternative readings of his inscription.
The medal was formerly ascribed to a medallist signing I.A.V.F.
Bibliographic references
  • Kristin Huffman Lanzoni, 'New Light on Renaissance faces: Alessandro Vittoria, Portrait Medals and Fashioning Images', The Medal no. 56, Spring 2010, pp. 37-46. (fig. 10 p. 43)
  • '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. 35
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.259-1910

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O313574/pietro-lauro-medal-vittoria-alessandro/
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