Portrait medal of Cardinal Francesco degli Alidosi (obverse); Jupiter and Signs of the Zodiac (reverse)
As a protégé of Pope Julius II, Francesco degli Alidosi advanced rapidly through ecclesiastical ranks, acting as a papal ambassador and commander of papal forces in wars against Venice and French invaders of Italy. In the first decade of the sixteenth century, he served as cardinal of Pavia, legate to Bologna and Romagna, and bishop of Bologna. Generally resented for his meteoric rise and activities as legate, Alidosi was murdered by a rival military commander.
The reverse of Francesco degli Alidosi’s medal is an astrological reference to his career, showing Jupiter in a cart drawn by two eagles and holding a thunderbolt in his left hand. Below are two zodiac signs: Pisces and Sagittarius, the signs of the planet Jupiter. This is the only medal generally acknowledged to be from the hand of the Bolognese painter Francesco Francia.
The reverse of Francesco degli Alidosi’s medal is an astrological reference to his career, showing Jupiter in a cart drawn by two eagles and holding a thunderbolt in his left hand. Below are two zodiac signs: Pisces and Sagittarius, the signs of the planet Jupiter. This is the only medal generally acknowledged to be from the hand of the Bolognese painter Francesco Francia.
Artwork Details
- Title: Portrait medal of Cardinal Francesco degli Alidosi (obverse); Jupiter and Signs of the Zodiac (reverse)
- Artist: Francesco Francia (Italian, Bologna ca. 1447–1517 Bologna)
- Date: 1505–10
- Medium: Bronze (copper alloy with a honey-colored
patina). - Dimensions: Diam. 6 cm, wt. 72.9 g.
- Classification: Medals
- Credit Line: Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
- Object Number: 1975.1.1274
- Curatorial Department: The Robert Lehman Collection
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