Jean Parisot de la Vallette
ca. 1566
Medium
Copper alloy with a deep brown patina.
Dimensions
Diam. 5.9 cm, wt. 103.48 g.
Classification
Medals
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1282
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite copper alloy medal, struck around 1566 by the Italian artist Mario d'Aluigi (known "Marius"), honors Jean Parisot de Val, the heroic Grand Master of the Order the Knights of Malta. Measuring just 5.9 cm in diameter and weighing 103.48 grams, its deep brown patina evokes the rich aging of Renaissance bronzes, making it a tactile gem in the Robert Lehman Collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Valette's fame stems from his leadership during the Great Siege of Malta in1565, where he and his knights repelled a massive Ottoman invasion, securing Europe from Turkish expansion....