The Bronzes of Pier Jacopo Alari-Bonacolsi, called Antico
85
Armand, I, p. 62,1; Rossi, p. 435,1, pl. XII; Hermann, p. 222,1, pl. XXXIV.
a) Berlin, Staatliche Museen, 40 mm aftercast; b) Bologna, Museo Civico Archeologico, Coli. Comun.,
40 mm, “Medaglie del Rinascimento”, 45 284 ; c) Brescia (Martinengo), 40.6 mm, 36 gm, Rizzini, 88 285 ;
d) Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, 39 mm, Wixom, 58 286 ; e) Edinburgh, The Royal Museum of Scotland
(1883.5.6), lead, 39 mm, th. 0.2 mm; f) Florence, Museo Nazionale (I 5962), 39.4 mm, th. 2.6-6.4 mm, 33 gm,
Supino, 72 287 ; Pollard, n. 54 288 ; g) St. Petersburg, Hermitage (Strogonov), 39.5 mm, two holes (top and bottom);
h) London, British Museum (George III), 40.5 mm, th. 3.0-6.5 mm; i) Madrid, Museo Arqueologico Nacional,
40 mm, with hole; another, 40 mm, Alvarez-Ossorio, 52 289 ; j) Milan, Civiche Raccolte Numismatiche
(M.0.9.1270), formerly Brera, 41 mm, Johnson/Martini, 271 290 ; another (M.0.9.1271), 40 mm, Johnson/
Martini, 272; another (M.0.9.1272), 41 mm, hole above and below bust, Johnson/Martini, 273; k) Modena,
Museo Estense, 38 mm, th. (edge) 2 mm, worn aftercast, two holes (top and bottom); 1) Padua, Museo Bottacin
(M. B. inv. s. it. 118), 40 mm, good; m) Paris, Bibi. Nat., Tresor, Tpl. XXXI, 5 291 ; n) Paris, Louvre, 40 mm, Migeon,
470 292 ; o) Venice, Ca d’Oro, 40 mm, th. (edge) 3 mm, good; p) Venice, Museo Correr (I. N. 75), 40 mm, pierced;
q) Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum, 40 mm, th. 2.9-6.3 mm; r) Washington, National Gallery of Art (Kress,
formerly Dreyfus, A808-71 bis A, 40 mm, Hill/Pollard, 71 bis 295 .
Plaquette of reverse: Brescia, Museo Civico (Martinengo), 39 mm, Rossi, 17, po. 25 294 . Florence, Museo
Nazionale 295 .
The reverse was copied on the Porta Stanga from Cremona, now in the Louvre.
Fabriczy proposed that the iconography of the reverse referred to Gianfrancesco’s fortunate life and that this was
not due to chance but to his pruderice and courage 296 . Hermann has suggested, that the iconography of the reverse
refers to Gianfrancesco’s military accomplishments as well as to his more spiritual and intellectual interests 297 .
The extensive library listed in the inventory of his estate in 1496 is evidence of his wide knowledge and humanistic
background (Doc. 9). A general interpretation of the three figures would appear to be that, when Mars, or the
sanguine side of Gianfrancesco’s temperament and career is at rest, under the auspices of Diana, the virgin
huntress, reason assumes precedence enabling him to pursue the path of virtue and rise to the higher spiritual
realms pointed to by Fortune.
The style and iconography of the Trinacria medal (cat. 1) and the youthful portrait of the series with several
reverses (cat. 2-6, 8) place those medals before this one in date. Unlike his other medals this medal bears no titles
and is overtly classicizing. Contrasted to the series portrait, that on this medal has acquired greater immediacy as
it has been tilted forward and the bust cut diagonally, similar in the latter respect to that of Antonia del Balzo. The
face is now less of a plastic unity than his earlier portraits, including that of Antonia, the facial features, with the
exception of the brow and nose which form a continous line, set apart from one another, the eye more emphasized,
the mouth bud-like, and the chin heavier. Moreover, the iconography of the reverse suggests that Gianfrancesco’s
active participation in his profession has been set aside. As this medal has survived in considerable numbers, its
creation was at a distance from his death in 1496. The last records of his Professional and political activity in the
second half of the eighties show that he was allied with the Duke of Milan but in a relatively inactive manner 298 .
The “prima facie” evidence then suggests a date for this medal in the years between 1486 and 1490.
m ) Bologna, op. cit. (cf. n. 267).
285 ) Rizzini, op. cit. (cf. n. 260).
286 ) W. D. Wixom, Renaissance Bronzes from Ohio Collections, Cleveland, 1975.
282 ) Supino, op. cit. (cf. n. 270).
288 ) Pollard, op. cit. (cf. n. 244).
239 ) F. A lvarez-Ossorio, Catälogo de las medallas de los siglos XV y XVI conservadas en el Museo Arqueologico Nacional, Madrid, 1950.
29 °) Johnson/Martini, op. cit. (cf. n. 250).
29 ‘) Tresor de Numismatique et de Glytique, VII, Paris, 1834 (wrongly considered Francesco II).
292 ) Musee National du Louvre, Departement des Objets d’Art, Catalogue des Bronzes et Cuivres, I, pt. IV, ed. G. Migeon, Paris, 1904.
293 ) Hill/Pollard, op. cit. (cf. n. 274).
294 ) Brescia, Musei Civici, Placchette, Sec. XV-XIX, ed. F. Rossi, 1971.
295 ) Carrand no. 440. Cf. also Molinier, op. cit. (cf. n. 233), no. 99. It was reported to Hermann (op. cit., p. 223, n. 5 <cf. n. 1>) that a plaquette
of the reverse formed part of the decoration of a sword pommel.
296 ) Fabriczy, op. cit. (cf. n. 276), p. 25.
297 ) Hermann, op. cit. (cf. n. 1), p. 223.
298 ) Litta, op. cit., pl. XIV; Bologni, op. cit., p. 151 (for these citations cf. n. 7).
