Emanuele Filiberto, 1528-1580, 10th Duke of Savoy 1553 [obverse]

after 1559

Alessandro Cesati, called Il Grechetto

Associated Names
Alessandro Cesati, called Il Grechetto

Artist, Roman, active 1538/1564

The image shows a bas-relief portrait of a man in profile, facing right. The portrait displays detailed facial features, curly hair, and a beard, wearing a decorated garment with intricate patterns. The circular sculpture features an inscription that reads "EMANVEL PHILIBERTVS D.G. SAVLA." The material appears to be bronze with a brownish-gold patina, showcasing aged textures and wear, particularly along the edges and in the portrait details. Oxidation on the surface hints at its age and historical context. The sculpture is designed to represent the subject with respect and detail.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze//Struck; originally gilded

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (diameter): 4.1 cm (1 5/8 in.)
    gross weight: 37.68 gr (0.083 lb.)
    axis: 1:00

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.960.a

Associated Artworks

The sculpture is a circular medallion featuring the profile of a woman. The woman is adorned with intricate details, including a decorated collar and braided hair. The medallion is made of a bronze or copper-colored material. There are signs of oxidation and wear on the surface. An inscribed text is around the edge of the medallion. The woman's profile is rendered with attention to detail, emphasizing the textures in her attire and hair against the patinated background.

Marguerite of France, 1523-1574, Duchess of Savoy [reverse]

Alessandro Cesati, called Il Grechetto

1559

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

1967

  • Hill, George Francis, and Graham Pollard. Renaissance Medals from the Samuel H. Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art. London, 1967: no. 367.

2007

  • Pollard, John Graham. Renaissance Medals. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. 2 vols. Washington, 2007: 1:no. 418, repro.

Inscriptions

around circumference: EMANVEL PHILIBERTVS III D[ux] SABAVDIAE X; lower left on shoulder: A F

Wikidata ID

Q63850146

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