Sphere Representing Earth, Sea, and Sky [reverse]
c. 1449/1450
![Sphere Representing Earth, Sea, and Sky [reverse] by Pisanello](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.artheonmuseum.org%2Fnga%2Fthumb%2Fsphere-representing-earth-sea-and-sky-reverse-nga-44356.webp&w=3840&q=75)
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 7.81 cm (3 1/16 in.) gross weight: 168.68 gr (0.372 lb.) axis: 12:00
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1957.14.614.b
Art Historical Context
Crafted around 1449–1450 by the Italian artist Pisanello (c. 1395–1455), *Sphere Representing Earth,, and Sky [reverse]* is a masterful bronze medallion measuring just 7.81 cm in diameter and weighing 168.68 grams. Part of the Samuel H.ress Collection at the National Gallery of Art this intimate sculpture exemplifies Pisanello's pioneering role the Renaissance revival of the portrait medal—a small-scale art form inspired by Roman coins but infused with innovative detail and humanism. The reverse side depicts a symbolic sphere embodying Earth, Sea, and Sky, likely alluding to classical cosmolo...
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...