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A Son of Martin Geuder of Nuremberg

Medal
ca. 1530-1550 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This is a brass medal made by Matthes Gebel in Germany in about 1530-1550. The obverse of this medal represents one of the three sons of Martin III Geuder: Sebald, Martin or Georg, who were nephews of Willibald Pirckheimer. The reverse represents the allegorical scene showing: Tribulation and Spes are hammering a heart, held in the fire on an anvil with pliers by Invidia. The meaning of the allegory seems to be that when the heart is oppressed by cares, one should trust in heavenly hope. It is based on a drawing by Albrecht Dürer. The allegory may have been conceived by Willibald Pirckheimer.
Gebel (ca. 1500-1574) who lived in Nuremberg was considered the most important medallist of his time. Also today he is considered as the most prolific medallist in Nuremberg of the Renaissance period. Habich ascribes 350 medals to him. They are almost all two-sided and thinly cast in silver, lead or bronze. He was friend of Albrecht Dürer and struck a famous medal of him in 1527. It shows Dürer with short hair. This medal portrait should become the definite portrait of Dürer in an advanced age for future generations.



Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleA Son of Martin Geuder of Nuremberg (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Brass
Brief description
Medal, brass, A son of Martin Geuder of Nuremberg, by Matthes Gebel, Germany, probably about 1530-1550
Physical description
Copper 86.8%, zinc 12.7%. Lead and nickel also present. The allegorical scene on the reverse shows the following: Tribulation and Spes are hammering a heart, held in the fire on an anvil with pliers by Invidia. Spes is pointing to a cloud from which rain is falling on the anvil. The anvil rests on the reclining figure of Tolerantia. The meaning of the allegory seems to be that when the heart is oppressed by cares, one should trust in heavenly hope. It is based on a drawing by Albrecht Dürer. The allegory may have been conceived by Willibald Pirckheimer.
The man depicted on the obverse of the medal is one of the three sons of Martin III Geuder: Sebald, Martin or Georg, who were nephews of Willibald Pirckheimer.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 3,6cm
  • Weight: 21.8g
Object history
Provenance: Tross. 140 medals and reliefs were purchased from M. Henri Tross of Paris for £500 by J.C. Robinson for the Museum in 1867.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This is a brass medal made by Matthes Gebel in Germany in about 1530-1550. The obverse of this medal represents one of the three sons of Martin III Geuder: Sebald, Martin or Georg, who were nephews of Willibald Pirckheimer. The reverse represents the allegorical scene showing: Tribulation and Spes are hammering a heart, held in the fire on an anvil with pliers by Invidia. The meaning of the allegory seems to be that when the heart is oppressed by cares, one should trust in heavenly hope. It is based on a drawing by Albrecht Dürer. The allegory may have been conceived by Willibald Pirckheimer.
Gebel (ca. 1500-1574) who lived in Nuremberg was considered the most important medallist of his time. Also today he is considered as the most prolific medallist in Nuremberg of the Renaissance period. Habich ascribes 350 medals to him. They are almost all two-sided and thinly cast in silver, lead or bronze. He was friend of Albrecht Dürer and struck a famous medal of him in 1527. It shows Dürer with short hair. This medal portrait should become the definite portrait of Dürer in an advanced age for future generations.

Bibliographic references
  • Trusted, Marjorie. German Renaissance Medals: a Catalogue of the Collection in the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Victoria & Albert Museum, 1990, p. 45
  • Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1867. Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1. London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 15
  • Habich, Georg. ed. Die deutschen Schaumünzen des XVI. Jahrhunderts herausgegeben mit Unterstützung der Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Notgemeinschaft der deutschen Wissenschaft Auftrag des Deutschen Vereins für Kunstwissenschaft. München: Bruckmann, 1929-1934, I, II, p. 1758, no. 1257, pl. CXLIII, 4, 4a
Collection
Accession number
82-1867

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Record createdFebruary 25, 2004
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