{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O313699"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O313699/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NV6649/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2024NV6649/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2024NV6649","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NV6650","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2024NV6651","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O313699/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O313699","accessionNumber":"A.1-1966","objectType":"Medal","titles":[{"title":"Portrait medal of Giovanni Matteo Marchetti, bishop of Arezzo","type":""}],"summaryDescription":"The medal depicts Giovanni Matteo Marchetti (1647-1704) who became bishop of Arezzo in 1691. It was commissioned to Massimiliano Soldani Benzi to commemorate the construction of the large palace that the sitter had built in Pistoia, his hometown. Although the V&amp;A cast has no reverse, various casts of the medal with the reverse are known. It depicts the palace with the motto “HINC.PRISCAE.REDENTV.ARTES.”.\r\nThe V&amp;A medal is likely to be an early cast considering its quality and sharpness. The curly, lively locks of hair, coming out of the skullcap, and the facial hair are outlined with great attention to detail. The bags under the bishop's eyes and his double chin show the artist's desire to create a vivid and truthful portrait, while still clearly expressing the dignity of the character. The slightly unbuttoned mozzetta and flowing collar help to brighten the portrait. \r\n\r\nMassimiliano Soldani Benzi (1656-1740) played a major role in the revival of the art of medal in Tuscany. Born in Montevarchi, he moved to Florence in 1675, at the age of nineteen, to train as a sculptor. It was not long before Cosimo III came across some of the sculptor's early works. The sovereign understood that Soldani had the potential to realise his aspirations of relaunching the Grand Duchy's production of medals and coins. From a young age, Cosimo had developed a deep interest in the art of medals, probably also stimulated by the results achieved in this field in capitals such as London and Paris, which he visited during his youth when he extensively toured Europe. \r\nMeeting with Soldani was crucial for the Grand Duke, who was able to put his plans into action. After financially supporting an 11-month apprenticeship at the Old Florentine Mint, Cosimo sent Soldani to Rome in 1678 to train at the Medici Academy under the supervision of the painter Ciro Ferri and the sculptor Ercole Ferrata. There, Soldani was introduced to the medallist Giovanni Pietro Travani to acquire the skills in the art of die-engraving. At the same time, the artist continued to practise wax modelling, a fundamental skill to become a sculptor and medallist.  He was also asked to study the drawing with Ciro Ferri practice copying ancient bas-reliefs to develop his ability in designing medal reverses. \r\nIn 1682, Cosimo III sent Soldani to Paris for a further training with the Flemish medallist Joseph Roettiers (1635-1703), medallist to the king and master of the French Mint.\r\nAfter having enriched his artistic background with Baroque suggestions in Rome and the lesson of the elegant French medal-making, he returned to Florence where he established himself as the leader of large cast medals, a genre that enjoyed extraordinary fortune in Tuscany at the time. On his return Soldani was also employed in the Florentine Mint, of which he became Master from 1688. ","physicalDescription":"Medal, bronze. The medal shows on the obverse the profile bust of Giovanni Matteo Marchetti (1647-1704), bishop of Arezzo, with moustache and goatee. The sitter wears a zucchetto and a hooded mozzetta buttoned only at the top, from which emerges the collar of the robe worked with an effect of great naturalism. The medal is signed “S” in the truncation of the arm and dated “1702” along the rim, un the truncation of the arm. \r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Soldani Benzi, Massimiliano","id":"A29994"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"x40240"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"}],"techniques":[{"text":"cast","id":"x32615"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Cast in bronze","categories":[{"text":"Coins & Medals","id":"THES48974"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Medallions","id":"THES49034"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2024NV6649","2024NV6650","2024NV6651"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"041","id":"THES395786"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Medal bishop marchetti of arezzo","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Florence","id":"x28848"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1702","earliest":"1702-01-01","latest":"1702-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"96","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"'IO. MATTH. MARCHETTI. EPISCOPVS. ARETINVS.' (along the rim)\n\n'1702' (on the bottom left, under the truncation of the arm)\n\n'S' (artist's signature in the truncation of the arm)","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Bought from Alfred Spero for £9.\n\nHistorical significance: Mr Pollard (Fitzwilliam Museum) writes: 'Apart from the quality of the portrait, which is similar to that of the medal of Cosimo Serristori, it seems safe to attribute this particular Marchetti medal to Soldani, because the signature 'S' is not used by Selvi, and the medal is dated too early for the period of joint work by Soldani and Selvi, c.1715. Lankheit is not certain of the date when this joint activity began'.","historicalContext":"A medal of Giovanni Matteo Marchetti with the inscription, Hinc priscae redeunt Artes, on the reverse is recorded in a list of medals (1743) made by Soldani that was given to Tarpato (Lodvico da Verrazzano) by Ab. Bartolommeo Vaggelli, a former pupil of Soldani. It also appears on a list given to Tarpatto by Lorenzo and Philip Veber (1742/3).","briefDescription":"Medal, Portrait medal of Giovanni Matteo Marchetti, bishop of Arezzo, cast in bronze, by Massimiliano Soldani Benzi, Florence, 1702. ","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Flaten, Arne Robert. <i>Medals and plaquettes in the Ulrich Middeldorf collection at the Indiana University Art Museum, 15th to 20th centuries</i>, Bloomington: Indiana Univ. Press, 2012, p. 64, n. 89 (another example of this medal)."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Vannel, Fiorenza, and Toderi, Giuseppe.<i> Medaglie italiane del Museo Nazionale del Bargello</i>, 4 vols., Florence: Edizioni Polistampa, 2003-2007, vol. II, 2005, p. 28, no. 209-212 (other examples of this medal). "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Börner, Lore, <i>Die italienischen Medaillen der Renaissance und des Barock (1450-1750)</i>, Berlin: Gebr. Mann Verlag, 1997, p. 306, no. 1499 (another example of this medal)."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"An important Collection of Renaissance and Baroque Medal and Plaquettes, auction catalogue (Spink in association with Christie’s, 21 May 1996), p. 158, no. 304, p. 159 fig. 304 (another example of this medal). "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Avery, Charles. \"Who was Antonio Selvi? New documentary data on medal production in Soldani’s workshop\", in <i>The Medal</i>, no. 26, 1995, p. 34, fig. 14. "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Vannel, Fiorenza, and Toderi, Giuseppe.<i> La Medaglia barocca in Toscana</i>, Florence: Studio per Edizioni Scelte, 1987, p. 65, n. 52 (another example of this medal). "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Cantelli, Giuseppe. <i>Una raccolta Fiorentina di medaglie tra ‘600 e ‘700</i>, Tipografia Artigiana Fiorentina, Firenze 1979, pp. 90-91, no. 41 and figs. 41R and 41V (another example of this medal). "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Lankheit, K. <u>Florentinische Barockplastik</u>, Munich, 1962, no. 349, 350, pp. 283-4."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"bishop","id":"AAT25756"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.1-1966"],"accessionNumberNum":"1","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1966,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-11","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}