Mining Works on Monte Leone [reverse]
![Mining Works on Monte Leone [reverse] by Gasparo Morone Mola](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/mining-works-on-monte-leone-reverse-nga-108152.webp)
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 4.6 cm (1 13/16 in.) gross weight: 34.92 gr (0.077 lb.) axis: 12:00
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Lisa and Leonard Baskin
Accession Number
1998.108.10.b
Art Historical Context
Behold the reverse side of a exquisite bronze medal, *Mining Works on Monte Leone* (1641), crafted by the skilled Italian medallist Gasparo Morone Mola. Measuring just 4.6 cm in diameter and weighing a mere 34.92 grams, this intimate sculpture captures the laborious energy of 17th-century mining operations on the rugged Monte Leone, likely a nod to the era's booming extractive industries in the Alps. Its precise axis at 12:00 hints at its design for display or wear, typical of commemorative medals. Mola, active in the Baroque period, mastered the art of bronze casting to produce detailed reli...