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Joachim Rehle

Medal
1529 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Habich was the first to attribute this work to Weiditz, and his opinion is generally accepted. Like other pieces linked to Weiditz, it depicts the sitter facing the viewer but looking slightly to the side. Also typical of Weiditz are the small triangles serving as stops between some of the words in the inscription, and the simple but naturalistic portrayal of costume, including the detailing of the feather and the linen shirt. Habich also calls attention to a painting of Rehle in the Dresden gallery, dated 1524, by Hans Maler of Ulm (active 1510 - 29), which depicts the sitter without a beard, posed differently, and wearing different clothes, yet with features that appear to be those of the man present in the portrait. Interestingly, the painting is inscribed with a legend of the sort more commonly found on medals. Rehle's date of birth is clear from the inscriptions on this medal and the information given on the painting. His death date is unknown. Little is known of his life, although Habich records that he belonged to a family that was originally from Nördlingen and speculates that he night have conducted business in Augsburg and outside of Germany as well. Weidtz, who is known to have journeyed to Spain and probably Italy, could have executed Rehle's portrait while both he and his subject were abroad. There is also a miniature of Rehle in the Kupferstichkabinet in Berlin.

Domanig noted that there is a poor bronze cast of this work in the Münzkabinett in Vienna, so it is apparent that it was indeed intended as the model for a medal.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleJoachim Rehle (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Boxwood
Brief description
Medallion, boxwood, Joachim Rehle, by Christoph Weiditz, Germany (Augsburg), dated 1529
Physical description
There is a hole drilled through the top. There are traces of brown colouring in the eyes.
Medallion depicts on the obverse the bust of Joachim Rehle to left. Inscription.
On the reverse a coat of arms.
Dimensions
  • Diameter: 5.6cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'IOACHIM.REHLE - ALT XXXVIII*' (Obverse)
  • 'ES-STAT ALS ZU GOT M D XXVIIII' (German; Reverse)
    Translation
    Everything is God's. 1529
Credit line
Salting Bequest
Object history
Provenance: Salting Bequest. George Salting (b. 1836; d. 1909), an Australian who settled in England, bequeathed a large collection of works decorative art to the Museum in 1909.
Historical context
This may have been a model for a medal, although the hole drilled through the top suggests it was subsequently hung or even worn.
Production
Germany
Subjects depicted
Summary
Habich was the first to attribute this work to Weiditz, and his opinion is generally accepted. Like other pieces linked to Weiditz, it depicts the sitter facing the viewer but looking slightly to the side. Also typical of Weiditz are the small triangles serving as stops between some of the words in the inscription, and the simple but naturalistic portrayal of costume, including the detailing of the feather and the linen shirt. Habich also calls attention to a painting of Rehle in the Dresden gallery, dated 1524, by Hans Maler of Ulm (active 1510 - 29), which depicts the sitter without a beard, posed differently, and wearing different clothes, yet with features that appear to be those of the man present in the portrait. Interestingly, the painting is inscribed with a legend of the sort more commonly found on medals. Rehle's date of birth is clear from the inscriptions on this medal and the information given on the painting. His death date is unknown. Little is known of his life, although Habich records that he belonged to a family that was originally from Nördlingen and speculates that he night have conducted business in Augsburg and outside of Germany as well. Weidtz, who is known to have journeyed to Spain and probably Italy, could have executed Rehle's portrait while both he and his subject were abroad. There is also a miniature of Rehle in the Kupferstichkabinet in Berlin.

Domanig noted that there is a poor bronze cast of this work in the Münzkabinett in Vienna, so it is apparent that it was indeed intended as the model for a medal.
Bibliographic references
  • Trusted, Marjorie. German Renaissance Medals. Victoria & Albert Museum, 1990. 128p., ill. ISBN 1851770135.
  • '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. 81
  • Scher, Stephen K, The Currency of fame: portrait medals of the Renaissance, New York, National Gallery of Art (U.S.), Frick Collection., 1994 pp.223-224
  • Maskell, A. Wood Sculpture. London, 1911, pl. XXVIII, 4
  • Habich, G. catalog I, I , p. 60, no. 371, pl. XLVIII, 2
Collection
Accession number
A.504-1910

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Record createdMarch 3, 2004
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