Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, Lord of Rimini (1417–1468)
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diameter: 79 mm
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
Italian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Anne D. Thomson, 1923
Accession Number
23.280.27
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze medal, crafted by the Veronese artist Matteo de Pasti in 1446, portrays Sigismondo Pandolfoatesta, the ambitious Lord of Rimini (1417–1468). Measuring just 79 mm in diameter it exemplifies the Renaissance revival of ancient Roman portrait medals—small, portable sculptures that blended artistry with propaganda. De' Pasti, a talent in sculpture and architecture who later collaborated on Rimini's iconic Tempio Malatestiano, Malatesta in profile, a classical pose evoking imperial dignity. Malatesta, a shrewd condottiero and patron of the arts, ruled Rimini during Italy's fra...
About the Artist
Matteo de' Pasti|Veronese · 1420–1467
Matteo de' Pasti (c. 1420–c. 1467) was an Italian medalist, illuminator, and architect active in the mid-fifteenth century, best known as the principal artist of the brilliant humanist court of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in Rimini. The precise details of his early training are not fully documented, but he was active as a miniature painter and illuminator before establishing himself as one of th...