Bust portrait of Ferdinando Francesco de Avalos, marquis of Pescara, in an oval ornamented frame
1568
Medium
Engraving
Dimensions
plate: 6 9/16 x 5 3/16 in. (16.6 x 13.1 cm) sheet: 7 3/8 x 5 7/8 in. (18.8 x 14.9 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.287
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant engraving, titled *Bust Portrait of Ferdinando Francesco devalos, Marquis of Pescara, in Oval Ornamented Frame was created by the Italian artist Nicolò Nelli in 1568. Nelli, a skilled 16th-century engraver in Rome, captures the noble profile of Ávalos—a celebrated Renaissance military commander who led Habsburg forces to victory in the Italian Wars including the pivotal Battle of Pavia in 152. Though Ávalos died decades earlier, this posthumous portrait honors his legacy, framing him in a classic oval medallion with intricate ornamental borders that evoke ancient Roman cameos, ble...