Giovanni Paolo Orsini on Horseback [reverse]

c. 1485/1490

Style of Niccolò Fiorentino

Associated Names
Anonymous Artist

Artist

Niccolò Fiorentino

Related Artist, Florentine, 1430 - 1514

The image shows a round relief sculpture of a figure riding a horse. The rider is dressed in flowing garments and is seated on a horse with raised front legs. The sculpture appears to be made from a metal material, possibly bronze, based on its color and texture. It seems relatively small, like a medallion or coin. There is text above the rider's head and beneath the horse's hooves, but the characters are unclear. The sculpture features high relief details depicting an equestrian scene.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    lead//Recent cast

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (diameter): 3.56 cm (1 3/8 in.)
    gross weight: 35.78 gr (0.079 lb.)
    axis: 12:00

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.868.b

Associated Artworks

The sculpture depicted is a bas-relief portrait on a coin, showing the profile of a man with distinct facial features, including a prominent nose and a sharp chin. The figure is adorned with curly hair that reaches just past the neck and wears a rounded cap that fits closely to the head. He is dressed in a garment with a high collar. The coin appears to be made of a metallic material, likely bronze or copper, as evidenced by its brownish color with some lighter and darker tones adding depth to the image. The surrounding space of the coin is inscribed with lettering. The sculptural work is detailed and intricate, showing the skill involved in creating depictions on a small object like a coin.

Giovanni Paolo Orsini, 1450/1455-1502, Count of Atripaldi 1486 [obverse]

Anonymous Artist

1485

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

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

Bibliography

2007

  • Pollard, John Graham. Renaissance Medals. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. 2 vols. Washington, 2007: 1:no. 311, repro.

Inscriptions

around top circumference: TESEQVOR; around bottom circumference: AN[no] XXXV

Wikidata ID

Q63847884

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