Gianfrancesco Riding in a Rocky Landscape, with a Companion [reverse]
c. 1445/1447
![Gianfrancesco Riding in a Rocky Landscape, with a Companion [reverse] by Pisanello](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/gianfrancesco-riding-in-a-rocky-landscape-with-a-nga-44317.webp)
Medium
lead
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 9.99 cm (3 15/16 in.) gross weight: 387.18 gr (0.854 lb.) axis: 1:00
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1957.14.594.b
Art Historical Context
Step into the intricate world of Renaissance medals with Pisanello's *Gianfrancesco Riding a Rocky Landscape, with Companion [reverse]*, crafted around 1445–1447. Antonio di Puccio Pisano better known as Pisanello (c. 1395–1455), was a pioneering Italian artist renowned for elevating medals from mere coins to sculptural masterpieces. This lead example, measuring nearly 10 cm in diameter and weighing over 387 grams, captures the reverse side of a portrait medal likely honoring Gianfrancesco Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua—a powerful Renaissance patron. Pisanello's medals bridged Gothic elegance and...
About the Artist
Pisanello
Antonio di Puccio Pisano, known as Pisanello (c. 1395–1455), was a pioneering Italian painter, draftsman, and medalist born in Pisa, though he spent his early years near Verona. His early training occurred in Verona under local painters, possibly Stefano da Verona or Altichiero, fostering a style rooted in Veronese traditions. Between 1415 and 1420, he served as assistant to Gentile da Fabriano, a...