{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O154146"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O154146/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EW7071/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2011EW7071/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2011EW7071","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2011EW7054","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O154146/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O154146","accessionNumber":"739-1865","objectType":"Medal","titles":[{"title":"Gianfrancesco Gonzaga di Rodigo","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This is a bronze medal made by Pier Jacopo Alari-Bonacolsi, called Antico (ca. 1460-1528) in Italy, about 1500-1510. The obverse of this medal represents Gianfrancesco Gonzaga, Count of Rodigo, Lord of Bozzolo, Sabbionette and Gazzuolo. The reverse shows a blazing hearth with the motto 'Honesty should be praised'.\r\nThe Gonzaga family ruled Mantua in Northern Italy from 1328 to 1708. Giangrancesco Gonzaga di Rodigo was an able military commander who passed much of his early life as a soldier in the service of Ferrante, King of Naples. He was the third son of Ludovico Gonzaga, second Marchese of Mantua. In Naples he met his future wife the cultivated Antonia de Balzo (1441-1538), daughter of Pirro, Prince of Altamura and they were married in 1479, in which year Gianfrancesco was made Count of Ródigo, and Lord of Bozzolo, Sabbioneta, Viadana and Gazzuolo in the territory of Mantua. They made their seat in the rocca of Bozzolo, where until Gianfrancesco's death in 1496 they kept a brilliant court. After his death Antonia retired to the rocca of Gazzuolo, where she lived until her death in 1538 at the age of ninety-seven, known to the Gonzaga family as the 'mother of all'. \nAntico (Pier Jacopo di Antonio Alari-Bonacolsi) (ca. 1460-1528), was an Italian sculptor and goldsmith. He was nick-named Antico, because in his work he related heavily to Antiquity. He re-created small scale statuettes of famous antique examples. He was active at the Gonzaga court at Mantua and made many bronzes for the court, notably for Ludovico, Bishop of Mantua and Isabella d’Este, wife of Francesco II  Gonzaga, 4th Marchese of Mantua. He was also a restorer of antique statues and an adviser to art collectors. \nAntico's medals of Gianfrancesco and Antonia, which number eight in total, are probably his earliest surviving works. \r\n","physicalDescription":"","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Antico","id":"A6577"},"association":{"text":"sculptors","id":"AAT25181"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"}],"techniques":[{"text":"casting","id":"AAT53104"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Bronze","categories":[{"text":"Coins & Medals","id":"THES48974"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2011EW7071","2011EW7054"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"018","id":"THES395715"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Medal","id":"AAT46025"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Italy","id":"x28927"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"ca. 1500-1510","earliest":"1495-01-01","latest":"1510-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"3.81","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"There is an electrotype copy of this medal (inv. no. 1857-107). It was bought from the Soulages collection in 1865.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Medal, bronze, Gianfrancesco Gonzaga di Rodigo, by Antico, Italian (Mantua), ca. 1500-1510","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1865. <font -u>Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1.</font> London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 42"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Robinson, John Charles. <font -u>Catalogue of the Soulages Collection.</font> London: Chapman & Hall, 1856, p. 156"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Allison, Ann Hersey. <font -u>Bronzes of Pier Jacopo Alari-Bonacolsi called Antico.</font> Wien: Verlag Anton Schroll & Co., 1994, pp. 44, 57, 81"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Hill, G. F. <font -u>A Corpus of Italian Medals of the Renaissance before Cellini.</font> London: British Museum, 1920, no. 210"},{"reference":{"text":"Chambers, David and Martineau, Jane (eds.), <i>Splendours of the Gonzaga : Catalogue</i>, London : Victoria and Albert Museum, 1981","id":"AUTH354795"},"details":"no 49-50(B)","free":""}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["739-1865"],"accessionNumberNum":"739","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1865,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Obverse","Reverse"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-11-13","recordCreationDate":"2008-05-06","availableToBook":true}}