Medal: Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga

Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) Italian

Not on view

Active in Verona and the Italian courts, the celebrated master Pisanello left behind a significant legacy, including a large corpus of drawings, several paintings, and the devopment of the Renaissance portrait medal. Inspired by Roman coins, with their portraits of rulers and allegorical representations on the reverse, the medals commemorated individuals or events and functioned as gifts and mementoes. The obverse presents a portrait of Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga, marquess of Mantua (1394/95 – 1444). He is shown on
the reverse mounted in armor and riding in a rocky landscape with a dwarf squire on horseback in the background. To his left hangs a door knocker. This is an old aftercast, possibly after a lead original, with some bruises.

Medal: Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga, Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) (Italian, Pisa or Verona by 1395–1455), Copper alloy with dark patina and dark layer of wax

This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Medal: Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga, Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) (Italian, Pisa or Verona by 1395–1455), Copper alloy with dark patina and dark layer of wax
Medal: Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga, Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) (Italian, Pisa or Verona by 1395–1455), Copper alloy with dark patina and dark layer of wax

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.