Double-headed Eagle, Charged with Shield [reverse]

1537

Hans Reinhart the Elder

Associated Names
Hans Reinhart the Elder

Artist, German, c. 1510 - 1581

This is a round relief depicting a coat of arms adorned with detailed engravings. At the top are two birds with outstretched wings facing the left and right below a crown. The shield in the center is sectioned into compartments with various heraldic symbols and figures, including towers, lions, and fleur-de-lis shapes. The piece is circular and made of a gold or brass-colored material, with some areas of a dark brown patina.

Media Options

This object’s media is free and in the public domain. Read our full Open Access policy for images.

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze, partially gilded

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (diameter): 6.72 cm (2 5/8 in.)
    gross weight: 72.56 gr (0.16 lb.)
    axis: 12:00

  • Accession Number

    1942.9.170.b

Associated Artworks

The sculpture is a circular medallion featuring the relief of a male monarch in profile, facing the right. He is depicted wearing ornate robes adorned with detailed patterns and rich embellishments. He holds a scepter in one hand and a sphere in the other. The medallion is crafted from metal with a dark bronze or gold finish that highlights the raised features and textures, while the other areas are dark brown, perhaps from a patina. The edges of the medallion are inscribed with text.

Charles V, 1500-1558, King of Spain 1516-1556, Holy Roman Emperor 1519 [obverse]

Hans Reinhart the Elder

1537


Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Oscar Hainauer [d. 1894], Berlin; by inheritance to his widow, Mrs. Julie Hainauer, Berlin; purchased 1906 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London, New York, and Paris); by exchange 21 October 1920 to Joseph E. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Philadelphia;[1] gift 1942 to NGA.
[1] A typed manuscript, “List of medals from the Hainauer Collection sold to Joseph Widener, Esq.” dated “October Twenty-First 1920,” is kept inside the front cover of the NGA Library’s copy of A Cabinet of One Hundred & Thirty-Three Bronze Plaques and Medals of the Renaissance Period from the Collection of the Late Herr Oscar Hainauer of Berlin, ed. Duveen Brothers, London, n.d. (but 1908), which came to the Gallery from the Widener library. Elsewhere in the Widener records, the circumstances of the acquisition are recorded by Edith Standen, the Widener’s curator: “Plaques and medals. These, formerly in the Hainauer Collection, were presented to Mr. [Joseph] Widener by Lord Duveen (then Sir Joseph) as a peace-offering. Mr. Widener had broken off relations with the firm two years before over a disputed enamel he had purchased from them and the medals, though originally offered at a much higher price, were given in lieu of the purchase money of the enamel.” (Gallery Archives, Record Group 3, Records of the Office of the Deputy or Assistant Director, Donor Files Relating to Major Collections, Box 21.)

Associated Names

Bibliography

1908

  • A Cabinet of One Hundred & Thirty-Three Bronze Plaques and Medals of the Renaissance Period from the Collection of the Late Herr Oscar Hainauer of Berlin. Ed. Duveen Brothers. London, n.d. (but 1908): no. 37, repro.

2007

  • Pollard, John Graham. Renaissance Medals. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. 2 vols. Washington, 2007: 2:no. 740, repro.

Inscriptions

across center: PIVS VLTRE

Wikidata ID

Q63809510

You may be interested in

Loading Results