Alfonso Crowned by Mars and Bellona [reverse]

c. 1458

Cristoforo di Geremia

Associated Names
Cristoforo di Geremia

Artist, Roman, active 1456 - 1476

This is a photograph of a sculpted medallion. The medallion features an embossed design showcasing a seated figure in the center, flanked by other figures participating in a ceremonial crowning. The design has intricate details such as clothing folds and texture of the figures. Around the medallion's edge, inscriptions can be seen. It appears to be made of metal with traces of wear and patina. The craftsmanship shows classical influences, possibly from the Renaissance period.

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): 7.51 cm (2 15/16 in.)
    gross weight: 176.13 gr (0.388 lb.)
    axis: 12:00

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.804.b

Associated Artworks

The sculpture is a sculpted medal with the profile of a man facing right. The man has medium-length hair and wears a detailed garment with ornate decorations, reliefs, and patterns. The sculpture is made of tarnished grayish metal, likely bronze or a similar alloy. There is an inscription in capital letters around the edge of the medal.

Alfonso V of Aragon, 1396-1458, King of Naples and Sicily 1443 [obverse]

Cristoforo di Geremia

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. 22); 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

1988

  • Da Pisanello alla nascita dei Musei Capitolini: L'Antico a Roma alla vigilia del Rinascimento, Musei Capitolini, Rome, 1988, no. 20.

Bibliography

2007

  • Pollard, John Graham. Renaissance Medals. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. 2 vols. Washington, 2007: 1:no. 240, repro.

2020

  • Malgouyres, Philippe. De Filarete à Riccio. Bronzes italiens de la Renaissance (1430-1550). La collection du musée du Louvre. Paris, 2020: 51-53.

Inscriptions

around circumference: VICTOREM REGNI MARS ET BELLONA CORONANT; across bottom under ground line: CHRISTOPHORVS HIERIMIA

Wikidata ID

Q63847513

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