Alphonso of Aragon, King of Naples
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1449
Obverse reads DIVVS. ALPHONSVS. REX. - .TRIVMPHATOR. ET./ .PACIFICVS. (The divine Alfonso, king, victor and peacemaker) and shows a conventional portrait in profile facing right of Alphonso V of Aragon, wearing rugged armour over chain mail.
Reverse bears the inscription across the upper centre .LIBERALITAS./ AVGVSTA. (Imperial Liberality). In a rocky landscape an eagle perches on a dry branch, below which a fawn lies dead with a ragged open wound. The renowned Italian artist Pisanello carried out several commemorative portrait medal commissions for Alphonso V of Aragon (b.1396-d.1458) whist he ruled as Alphonso I of Naples from 1443 to 1458. This is the first and largest of these, executed soon after Pisanello's employment in the royal court.
The reverse, depicting a majestic eagle perched above a dead fawn and surrounded by smaller birds of prey, celebrates Alphonso's virtues as a ruler. Two-sided Renaissance portrait medals were a form developed by Pisanello, and commemorated individuals or events and functioned as gifts and mementoes. They were inspired by the Roman coins, with their portraits of rulers and allegorical representations on the reverse, excavated all over Italy and eagerly collected by humanist scholars.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Dimensions
- Diameter 11.1 cm; Depth 1.2 cm; Weight 0.46 kg
- Materials and techniques
- Cast bronze
Technical characteristics
- Place recorded
- Naples (city)
Identification
- Candidate id
- vam-O92573
- Museum object number
- 2380-1855
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked single-object source. Wider type attribution and authenticity have not been independently verified.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: confirm the wider type and source attribution against specialist references.