Alfonso II d'Avalos, 1502-1546, Marquess of Vasto [obverse]
c. 1535/1538
![Alfonso II d'Avalos, 1502-1546, Marquess of Vasto [obverse] by Giovanni da Cavino](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/alfonso-ii-davalos-1502-1546-marquess-of-vasto-nga-45014.webp)
Medium
bronze//Cast
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 3.88 cm (1 1/2 in.) gross weight: 30.58 gr (0.067 lb.) axis: 6:00
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1957.14.981.a
Art Historical Context
This bronze cast medal, created by the Paduan artist Giovanni da Cavino around 1535–1538, portrays Alfonso II d’Avalos, Marquess of Vasto, on its obverse. A prominent military commander and diplomat in the service of Emperor Charles V, Alfonso was celebrated for his leadership during the Italian Wars. Measuring just under four centimeters in diameter, the small-scale work exemplifies the Renaissance revival of ancient Roman coinage, transforming a classical format into a vehicle for contemporary portraiture and personal commemoration. Cavino specialized in such cast medals, skillfully capturi...
About the Artist
Giovanni da Cavino · 1500–1570
**Giovanni da Cavino: The Paduan Master of Medals and Antiquity** Giovanni da Cavino, born in May 1500 in Padua to goldsmith Bartolommeo di Giovanni from Cavino d'Arsego, inherited his family's craft from an early age. His father served as his initial master until Bartolommeo's death in 1517, after which Cavino trained in the workshop of the renowned Paduan sculptor Andrea Riccio (1470–1532), who...