Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Medal: John VIII Palaeologus

model 1439 (possibly cast 17th century)
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. This medal commemorated the visit of the Byzantine emperor John VIII Palaeologus (1392 – 1448) to Ferrara in 1438 to attend the ecumenical congress of the Greek and Latin churches. The obverse depicts the Emperor's portrait while the reverse portrays him riding in a rocky landscape. Possibly the first medal produced by Pisanello, its design set a standard format for many future commemorative medals. This heavily worn aftercast possibly dates to the seventeenth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Medal: John VIII Palaeologus
  • Artist: Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) (Italian, Pisa or Verona by 1395–1455)
  • Date: model 1439 (possibly cast 17th century)
  • Medium: Lead.
  • Dimensions: Diam. 9.1 cm, wt. 380.05 g.
  • Classification: Medals
  • Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
  • Object Number: 1975.1.1306
  • Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection

More Artwork

More Artwork
Alfonso V, King of Naples, Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) Italian, Bronze, olive-brown patina, Italian
Alfonso V, King of Naples
Medalist: Pisanello (Antonio Pisano)
ca. 1449
Lobster-Tail Burgonet, Steel, leather, gold, North Italian
Lobster-Tail Burgonet
North Italian
ca. 1610
Maria Magdalena, Archduchess of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany, Guillaume Dupré French, Lead, French
Maria Magdalena, Archduchess of Austria, Grand Duchess of Tuscany
Medalist: Guillaume Dupré
Medalist: Gasparo Mola
1613
Medal: John VIII Palaeologus, Pisanello (Antonio Pisano) Italian, Copper alloy with warm brown patina and dark wax.
Medal: John VIII Palaeologus
Pisanello (Antonio Pisano)
model 1439 (possibly cast 17th century)
Armor, Steel, copper alloy, textile, leather, Italian
Armor
Italian
ca. 1400–1450 and later

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.