Isabella d'Este thumbnail 1
On display
Image of Gallery in South Kensington

Isabella d'Este

Medal
ca.1495 (made)
Artist/Maker
Romano, Gian Cristoforo (maker)
Place of origin
Milan (made)

Isabella d’Este married into the wealthy Gonzaga dynasty, and was also an important patron and collector in her own right. She probably commissioned this medal in 1495, when Romano was sculptor and musician to her sister Beatrice, Duchess of Milan.

Object details

Categories
Coins & Medals
Portraits
Sculpture
Object type
Medal
TitleIsabella d'Este (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Cast bronze
Bronze
Brief description
Medal, bronze, Isabella d'Este, by Gian Cristoforo Romano, Italy, ca. 1495
Physical description
Medal depicts on the obverse the bust to the right of Isabella, wearing a necklace. Inscription. On the reverse Astrology, a winged female figure, draped, holding a rod in her right hand. At her feet to the left a serpent, and above a star and the sign of Sagittarius. Inscription.
Dimensions
  • Depth: 0.4cm
  • Diameter: 4cm
  • Weight: 0.02kg
Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'ISABELLA ESTEN MARCH . MANTVAE' (obverse)
    Translation
    Isabella d'Este Marchioness of Mantua
  • 'BENEMOERE NTIVM ERGO' (reverse)
    Translation
    Because of those who favoured me
Credit line
Salting bequest
Object history
From the Salting bequest.
Subjects depicted
Female Figure
Rod
D'Este, Isabella
Astrology
Summary
Isabella d’Este married into the wealthy Gonzaga dynasty, and was also an important patron and collector in her own right. She probably commissioned this medal in 1495, when Romano was sculptor and musician to her sister Beatrice, Duchess of Milan.
Bibliographic references
  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance, Before Cellini, Volume I, Text. London: British Museum, 1930, no. 221
  • '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. 30
  • Chambers, David and Martineau, Jane (eds.), Splendours of the Gonzaga : Catalogue, London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1981 no.109
Collection
Sculpture Collection
Accession number
A.232-1910

About this object record

Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.

You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.

Suggest feedback

Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O313543/isabella-deste-medal-romano-gian-cristoforo/
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest