Self-Portrait [obverse]

1458

Giovanni Boldù

Associated Names
Giovanni Boldù

Artist, Venetian, active c. 1454 - before 1477

The sculpture is a relief portrait of a man in profile, facing left. It depicts the bust of the man with detailed, curly hair tied back with a ribbon, and a sculpted face showing a prominent nose and chin. The sculpture is embedded on a medallion, surrounded by a circular band containing inscriptions or letters. It is made of bronze, giving it a rich, brownish-gold color that is reflective and slightly weathered. The sculpture appears small, comparable in size to a large coin, with a hole at the top and bottom. The three-dimensional effect of the relief provides depth and shadowing, accentuating the facial features and hair texture of the subject.

Media Options

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On View

West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G16

Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (diameter): 8.5 cm (3 3/8 in.)
    gross weight: 208.89 gr (0.461 lb.)
    axis: 12:00

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.735.a

Associated Artworks

The sculpture is a round bronze relief depicting two cherubic figures seated on the ground. One figure covers their face with one hand, while the other holds a human skull. Both figures have youthful features and subtle musculature. The background contains ornate lines, and the sculpture is bordered with a Latin inscription. The material is polished bronze, giving the sculpture a rich brown color with lighter highlights. The viewer sees details of the figures' expressions and the crafting of the skull, highlighting the skillful work in small-scale bronze artistry.

Boldù with the Genius of Death [reverse]

Giovanni Boldù

1458

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Aimé Charles) Horace His de la Salle [1795-1878], Paris; (his estate sale, Sotheby's, London, 22-25 November 1880, 1st day, no. 31); Gustave Dreyfus [1837-1914], Paris; his heirs; purchased with the entire Dreyfus collection 9 July 1930 by (Duveen Brothers, Inc., London, New York, and Paris); sold 31 January 1944 to the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York;[1] gift 1957 to NGA.
[1] The Duveen Brothers Records document the firm’s sixteen year pursuit and eventual acquisition of the Dreyfus collection, which included paintings, sculptures, small bronzes, medals, and plaquettes. Bequeathed as part of his estate to Dreyfus’ widow and five children (a son and four daughters), who had differing opinions about its disposition, the collection was not sold until after his widow’s death in April 1929. Duveen did not wish to separate Dreyfus’ collection of small bronzes, medals, and plaquettes, and it was sold intact to the Kress Foundation for a price that was met by installment payments every three months. (Duveen Brothers Records, accession number 960015, Research Library, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles: reel 301, box 446, folders 3 and 4; reel 302, box 447, folders 1-6; reel 303, box 448, folders 1 and 2; reel 330, box 475, folder 4.) See also George Francis Hill’s discussion "A Note on Pedigrees" in his catalogue, The Gustave Dreyfus Collection: Renaissance Medals, Oxford, 1931: xii, which was commissioned by Duveen Brothers.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

2000

  • The Power of Appearances: Renaissance and Reformation Portrait Prints, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, 2000, no cat.

2018

  • The Renaissance Nude, J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Royal Academy of Arts, London, 2018-2019, no. 96, repro.

Bibliography

1883

  • Armand, Alfred. Les médailleurs italiens des quinzième et seizième siècles. 2nd ed. 3 vols. Paris, 1883-1887: 1:36, no. 1.

1908

  • Migeon, Gaston. "La collection de M. Gustave Dreyfus, V: Les plaquettes." Les Arts 80 (August 1908): 10, no. iii.

1930

  • Hill, George Francis. A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance before Cellini. 2 vols. London, 1930: no. 421 h.

1931

  • Hill, George Francis. The Gustave Dreyfus Collection: Renaissance Medals. Oxford, 1931: no. 142.

1951

  • National Gallery of Art. Renaissance Bronzes: Statuettes, Reliefs and Plaquettes, Medals and Coins from the Kress Collection. Introduction by Perry B. Cott. Washington, 1951: 170.

1967

  • Hill, George Francis, and Graham Pollard. Renaissance Medals from the Samuel H. Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art. London, 1967: no. 142.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 58, no. 18.

2007

  • Pollard, John Graham. Renaissance Medals. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. 2 vols. Washington, 2007: 1:no. 163, repro.

2020

  • Malgouyres, Philippe. De Filarete à Riccio. Bronzes italiens de la Renaissance (1430-1550). La collection du musée du Louvre. Paris, 2020: 110-111, 110 fig. 24.

Inscriptions

around circumference in Greek:

Wikidata ID

Q63847626

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