Balduino del Monte, died 1556, Brother of Pope Julius III, Count of Monte Sansovino 1550 [obverse]
mid 16th century
![Balduino del Monte, died 1556, Brother of Pope Julius III, Count of Monte Sansovino 1550 [obverse] by Giovanni da Cavino](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/balduino-del-monte-died-1556-brother-of-pope-nga-45026.webp)
Medium
bronze//Struck
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 4.26 cm (1 11/16 in.) gross weight: 29.27 gr (0.065 lb.) axis: 11:00
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1957.14.987.a
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze medal, struck in the mid-16th century the renowned Italian artist Giovanni da Cavino, honors Balduino del Monte (d. 1556), brother of Pope Julius III and newly appointed Count of Monte Sansov in 1550. Measuring just 4.26 cm in diameter and weighing 29.27, its obverse likely features a portrait of Bal, capturing the Renaissance fascination with individualized likenesses and classical antiquity. Cavino, a master medalist from Padua, was celebrated for his intricate struck medals—produced by hammering metal between engraved dies—which allowed for sharp details and high relie...
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...