Ludovico Gonzaga, second Marquess of Mantua thumbnail 1
Ludovico Gonzaga, second Marquess of Mantua thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

Ludovico Gonzaga, second Marquess of Mantua

Medal
ca. 1447-1448 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This medal depicts the bust of Ludovico Gonzaga, second Marquess of Mantua and is made by Antonio Pisanello in ca. 1447.

Antonio Pisano, or Pisanello (b.ca. 1395; d. 1455) was born Pisa or Verona, by 1395. He was an Italian painter, draughtsman and medallist. His richly decorative frescoes, courtly and elegant painted portraits and highly original portrait medals made him one of the most popular artists of the day. He travelled extensively and worked for several Italian courts, at Mantua, Ferrara, Pavia, Milan and Naples. Many of his paintings have been lost or damaged, making a reconstruction of his career difficult. He is now better known as a medallist.

Two-sided Renaissance portrait medals were a form developed by Pisanello, and commemorated individuals or events and functioned as gifts and mementoes. They were inspired by the Roman coins, with their portraits of rulers and allegorical representations on the reverse, excavated all over Italy and eagerly collected by humanist scholars.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleLudovico Gonzaga, second Marquess of Mantua (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Cast bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, of Ludovico Gonzaga (1412-1478) 2nd Marchese of Mantua, by Pisanello, Italy (Verona), about 1447
Physical description
Medal in bronze of Ludovico Gonzaga (1412-1478).
Obverse; Ludovico, bareheaded, is described as 'CAPITANEVS. ARMIGERORVM / MARCHIO. MANTVE. ET. CET.' The etc. refers presumably to the lesser lordships.
Reverse; shows him on horseback in armour and closed helmet with crest; the Gonzaga devices of the sun and the sun-shaped flower accompany him and the signature is given 'OPVS PISANI PICTORIS'.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 102mm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'CAPITANEVS. ARMIGERORVM / MARCHIO. MANTVE. ET. CET.' (obverse)
  • 'OPVS PISANI PICTORIS'. (reverse)
Credit line
Salting Bequest
Object history
From the Saling bequest.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This medal depicts the bust of Ludovico Gonzaga, second Marquess of Mantua and is made by Antonio Pisanello in ca. 1447.

Antonio Pisano, or Pisanello (b.ca. 1395; d. 1455) was born Pisa or Verona, by 1395. He was an Italian painter, draughtsman and medallist. His richly decorative frescoes, courtly and elegant painted portraits and highly original portrait medals made him one of the most popular artists of the day. He travelled extensively and worked for several Italian courts, at Mantua, Ferrara, Pavia, Milan and Naples. Many of his paintings have been lost or damaged, making a reconstruction of his career difficult. He is now better known as a medallist.

Two-sided Renaissance portrait medals were a form developed by Pisanello, and commemorated individuals or events and functioned as gifts and mementoes. They were inspired by the Roman coins, with their portraits of rulers and allegorical representations on the reverse, excavated all over Italy and eagerly collected by humanist scholars.
Associated object
7137-1860 (Version)
Bibliographic references
  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance, Before Cellini, Volume I, Text. London: British Museum, 1930, p. 11
  • Jones, Mark, The Art of the Medal, London: British Museum, p. 23
  • Pisanello : Le Peintre aux Sept Vertus, Paris : Réunion des musées nationaux, 1996 pp. 406-7, cat. No. 286, illus. p . 410
  • '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. 17
  • Chambers, David and Martineau, Jane (eds.), Splendours of the Gonzaga : Catalogue, London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1981 no.15
Collection
Accession number
A.166-1910

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Record createdFebruary 23, 2004
Record URL
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