Paul II (Pietro Barbo, 1417-1471), Pope 1464 [obverse]

1470

after Giuliano di Scipione

Associated Names
Anonymous Artist

Sculptor

Giuliano di Scipione

Artist After, Italian, active 1464/1471

The relief carving depicts a papal figure in profile view wearing a detailed papal tiara with multiple tiers and intricate decorations. The figure is dressed in traditional papal vestments, and the surrounding border features ornate floral carvings and Latin inscriptions. The material appears to be a weathered, aged metal with a brown and green patina, suggesting bronze or a similar alloy, with a textured surface. The sculpture is encased in an oval frame with a decorative finial at the top. The overall appearance suggests it is meant for commemoration or veneration, capturing the likeness of the subject with attention to detail.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Widener Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (oblong): 8.21 × 4.46 cm (3 1/4 × 1 3/4 in.)
    gross weight: 79.91 gr (0.176 lb.)

  • Accession Number

    1942.9.157.a

Associated Artworks

The sculpture is a relief portrait of a figure wearing a papal tiara. The head of the figure is in profile, facing to the right. The sculpture is made of a material with a bronze-like appearance, showing a patina that gives it a greenish hue mixed with bronze. The figure’s face is detailed, featuring prominent facial features, and the tiara has intricate decoration. The sculpture is surrounded by an ornate border with floral and scroll-like patterns, and inscriptions in Latin are visible around the portrait. The design highlights the subject's significance with high-relief detailing and decorative embellishments.

Paul II (Pietro Barbo, 1417-1471), Pope 1464 [reverse]

Anonymous Artist

1470

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

Oscar Hainauer [d. 1894], Berlin; his wife, Julie Hainauer, Berlin; acquired 1906 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London and New York); by exchange 21 October 1920 to Joseph E. Widener, Lynnewood Hall, Elkins Park, Pennsylvania; gift 1942 to NGA.

Associated Names

Bibliography

1897

  • Bode, Wilhelm von, ed. Die Sammlung Oscar Hainauer / The Collection of Oscar Hainauer. [bound as one volume, English and German pages interleaved in one page sequence] Berlin, 1897 and London, 1906: 105, no. 273, (medal no. 18), as Italian, fifteenth century.

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. 110, repro., as Italian, fifteenth century.

1930

  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance before Cellini. 2 vols. London, 1930: 787.

1942

  • Works of Art from the Widener Collection. Foreword by David Finley and John Walker. National Gallery of Art, Washington, 1942: 15.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 31, no. 5.

Inscriptions

around circumference: PAVLO.VENETO.PAPE.II.ANNO.PVBLICATIONIS.IVBILEI ROMA* (Paul of Venice, second pope [of that name], in the year of the publication of the Jubilee, in Rome)

Wikidata ID

Q63809182

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