{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O248579"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O248579/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY2108/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2006AY2108/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2006AY2108","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AY2107","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KU9498","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KU9497","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O248579/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O248579","accessionNumber":"A.248-1910","objectType":"Medal","titles":[{"title":"Michelangelo Buonarroti","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The portrait medal was used as a way of showing friendship, wealth and scholarship. It was inspired by double sided Roman coins, which usually had a portrait of the emperor on one side and Latin inscriptions on both sides. Renaissance medals had a portrait on the obverse (front) and often a motto or allegorical figure on the reverse, underlining the qualities of the person shown in the portrait.\r\n\r\nMichelangelo was hailed as the greatest artist of all time. Also at the time when the medal was made he was regarded as the greatest living artist. The medal was modelled in Rome in 1560 and cast Milan, from which Leoni, sent him two silver and two bronze copies of this medal. He cleaned and boxed one specially, writing ‘keep it and look after it for love of me’. Apparently Michelangelo was pleased with the medal and in gratitude he gave him a wax model of Hercules and Antaeus, now lost. The medal was widely distributed, and the portrait frequently copied. The inscription, however, is wrong: Michelangelo was then 85 not 88.","physicalDescription":"This medal depicts on the obverse the bust to the right of Michelangelo. Inscription. On the reverse a blind man, half naked, walking to the right, led by a dog. He carries a staff in his right hand and a flask hung on his arm. Inscription.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Leoni, Leone","id":"A6597"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"}],"techniques":[],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cast bronze","categories":[{"text":"Coins & Medals","id":"THES48974"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2006AY2108","2006AY2107","2018KU9498","2018KU9497"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"64 (VA)","id":"THES49735"},"free":"","case":"14","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Medal","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Milan","id":"x29007"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1560","earliest":"1560-01-01","latest":"1560-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"5.8","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"0.2","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Weight","value":"0.02","unit":"kg","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured for the Medieval and Renaissance Galleries","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'MICHAELANGELVS . BONARROTVS . FLO . R . ATES . ANN . 88. / LEO'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"obverse"},{"content":"'DOCEBO . INIQVOS . V . T . ET . IMPII . AD . TE CONVER'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"reverse"}],"objectHistory":"From the Salting bequest.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Medal, bronze, Michelangelo Buonarotti, by Leone Leoni, Italy, 1560","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"Scher, Stephen K, <i>The Currency of fame: portrait medals of the Renaissance</i>, New York, National Gallery of Art (U.S.), Frick Collection., 1994","id":"AUTH353437"},"details":"pp.155-157","free":""},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"'Salting Bequest (A. 70 to A. 1029-1910) / Murray Bequest (A. 1030 to A. 1096-1910)'. In: <u>List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum (Department of Architecture and Sculpture)</u>. London: Printed under the Authority of his Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, East Harding Street, EC, p. 33"}],"production":"Modelled in Rome cast in Milan","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, Michelangelo","id":"N7470"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"man","id":"x35641"},{"text":"dog","id":"AAT24149"},{"text":"staff","id":"x43994"},{"text":"flask","id":"AAT45671"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.248-1910"],"accessionNumberNum":"248","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1910,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2017JU8802","2019LT2158","2019LW6650"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-11","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-11","availableToBook":false}}