Ippolita as Diana with Hunting Dogs in a Landscape with Pluto and Cerberus [reverse]
1551
![Ippolita as Diana with Hunting Dogs in a Landscape with Pluto and Cerberus [reverse] by Leone Leoni](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/ippolita-as-diana-with-hunting-dogs-in-a-nga-69984.webp)
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 6.8 cm (2 11/16 in.) gross weight: 95.47 gr (0.21 lb.) axis: 12:00
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of The Circle of the National Gallery of Art
Accession Number
1987.34.1.b
Art Historical Context
Crafted in 1551 by the Italian sculptor and medallist Leoni, this bronze medal (6.8 cm in diameter) showcases the reverse side featuring "Ippolita as with Hunting Dogs in a with Pluto and Cerber." Leoni, a master of portrait medals, often blended classical mythology with portraiture, making these small-scale sculptures prized collectibles among Europe's elite. The intricate scene depicts Ippol—likely a noble patron—transformed into the huntress goddess Diana, surrounded by loyal hounds in a lush landscape. In the background, Pluto, god of the underworld, appears with the fearsome three-headed...
About the Artist
Leone Leoni · 1504–1590
Leone Leoni (1504–1590) was an Italian sculptor and medalist who rose to become one of the most celebrated court artists of sixteenth-century Europe, serving emperors, kings, and popes with equal distinction. Born in Menaggio on Lake Como, he trained as a goldsmith and medallist, skills that brought him to the attention of powerful patrons at a time when the portrait medal was one of the most pres...