Hieronymus Paumgartner, 1498-1565, Patrician of Nuremberg [obverse]

1553

Joachim Deschler

Associated Names
Joachim Deschler

Artist, German, c. 1500 - 1571

The sculpture is a relief portrait of a man with distinct features, including a curly beard and mustache, a bald forehead, and a detailed garment. The piece has a rich brown color with a metallic sheen, possibly made of bronze. Surrounding the portrait, the inscription reads "HIERONYMVS PAUMGARTNER ANNO 1556." The lettering is slightly raised, matching the high-relief style of the portrait. The sculpture appears to resemble a medallion or commemorative plaque.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (diameter): 6.61 cm (2 5/8 in.)
    gross weight: 80.16 gr (0.177 lb.)
    axis: 12:00

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.1204.a

Associated Artworks

The sculpture is a round medallion with a heraldic design. At the center is a shield with two sections - one featuring a bird on a branch and the other a fleur-de-lis. Above the shield, there is a helmet with a closed visor under a fabric drapery. A parrot sits atop the helmet. The medallion is circular with an ornate border, and it has inscriptions along the circumference. The sculpture is made from a metal with a bronze-like patina, suggesting it may be crafted from bronze or a similar alloy.

Arms of Paumgartner [reverse]

Joachim Deschler

1553

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. 608.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 154, no. 38.

2007

  • Pollard, John Graham. Renaissance Medals. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. 2 vols. Washington, 2007: 2:no. 734, repro.

Inscriptions

around circumference: HIERONYMVS PAVMGARTNER ANNO AETATIS 56; lower center on truncation: 1553

Wikidata ID

Q63854691

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