Portraits and medalmaking Pisanello

portrait of ludovico iii gonzaga, margrave of mantua. electrotype of medal antonio pisano (obverse).



portrait of princess, c. 1435-1440.



medal of john viii palaeologus pisanello, saw him @ ferrara in 1438.



the vision of saint eustace, c. 1438–1442.



cecilia gonzaga medal: innocence , unicorn in moonlit landscape (1447).

from 1435, pisanello became more , more interested in portraiture , medalmaking. introduced leonello d este, marquess of ferrara. famous portrait of este princess dates period.

pisanello s vision of saint eustace, @ national gallery in london, long ascribed albrecht dürer because of perfection of fine panel, shows animals in profile or defined poses miniature-like delicacy. story in small painting (egg tempera on wood) pretext showing noble animals (horses, hunting dogs, stag, bear...) , noble creature of all: hunting courtier.

in 1439, council of florence negotiated byzantine emperor john viii palaiologos. on occasion pisanello struck commemorative medal of emperor, earliest portrait medal of post-classical times. made drawings portraits of emperor , retinue (louvre , chicago), suggesting had commission painting or fresco este residence.

pisanello became inventor of fields of portrait medals , related medallic art. during lifetime pisanello best known medals. has been copied many times in later generations. medalist art declined when deviated art of pisanello. before him, few medals made struck minted coins. pisanello, on other hand, melted medals same bronze low-relief, showing work of painter , modeler. signed medals opus pisani pictoris (made painter pisano). in view portraits in medals equal portraits in paintings. adds allegories @ reverse of medals, such unicorn in cecilia gonzaga medal, underlying noble character of princess.