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Augusto da Udine

Medal
before 1493 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This bronze medal depicting the poet Augusto da Udine is ascribed to Maffeo Olivieri, made before 1493, in Venice, Italy. On the reverse is a female figure and the inscription Urania.

Urania in Greek mythology is the muse for astronomy and astrology. She can fortell the future by the constellation of the stars. She is sometimes depicted with a globe in her hands. She usully gazes up into heaven. Many astronomical observatories carry her name (Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Zurich, Antwerp).

Maffeo Olivieri shows in his medals that he was strongly influenced by Fra Antonio his fellow townsman, but his conception of his sitters, with its tendency to pose, is quite different. In his medallic compositions he is fond of bold relief and empty spaces. Most of his medals are excellent casts, and show traces of the fine incised compass-lines used as guides for the inscriptions.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleAugusto da Udine (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, depicting Augusto da Udine, ascribed to Maffeo Olivieri, before 1493, Venice, Italy
Physical description
Medal depicts on the obverse the laureated bust of Augusto da Udine and on the reverse a female figure, inscribed "Urania".
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 3.18cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • URANIA (reverse)
  • Augustus Vates (obverse, inscribed on the bust)
Subjects depicted
Summary
This bronze medal depicting the poet Augusto da Udine is ascribed to Maffeo Olivieri, made before 1493, in Venice, Italy. On the reverse is a female figure and the inscription Urania.

Urania in Greek mythology is the muse for astronomy and astrology. She can fortell the future by the constellation of the stars. She is sometimes depicted with a globe in her hands. She usully gazes up into heaven. Many astronomical observatories carry her name (Berlin, Vienna, Budapest, Zurich, Antwerp).

Maffeo Olivieri shows in his medals that he was strongly influenced by Fra Antonio his fellow townsman, but his conception of his sitters, with its tendency to pose, is quite different. In his medallic compositions he is fond of bold relief and empty spaces. Most of his medals are excellent casts, and show traces of the fine incised compass-lines used as guides for the inscriptions.
Bibliographic references
  • Inventory of Art Objects Acquired in the Year 1856. 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. 25
  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance, Before Cellini, Volume I, Text. London: British Museum, 1930, p. 128, No. 485
Collection
Accession number
4587-1857

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Record createdMay 13, 2009
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