★ Ex Conte Alessandro Magnaguti Collection ★

Italian States, Duchy of Mantova. Federico II Gonzaga (1484-1519) Cast Æ Medal. Attributed to Francesco ‘Francia’, circa 1512. P FED MANT PRINC XII AN – NATO, draped bust of young prince left, with long hair, wearing cuirass with Gorgon-mask / QVEM DOC VI MARS ARMA DO CE, Federico brought to Mars by three graces; one of them presents him to Mars (seated on a cuirass) who places helmet on his head; behind Mars is a female figure, with her right hand on his shoulder, left holding spear at top of which a round shield attached. Nvmmis Historia IX, 29 pl. 8 (this medal); Hill 260; Armand II, 155, 1; Forrer II, pp. 137-45. 87.2g, 51mm, 12h.

Good Very Fine; a fine contemporary cast with dark green-brown patina. Extremely Rare and with considerable artistic merit.

From the Vitangelo Collection;
Ex Conte Alessandro Magnaguti Collection, P. & P. Santamaria, Ex Nvmmis Historia IX - Le medaglie di Gonzaga, 1965, lot 29.

This splendid medal in the most tender of portrait styles as a young Roman emperor, celebrates Francesco’s twelfth birthday and is considered to be the work of Francesco Raibolini (1447-1517), called ‘Francia’. A fine artist from Bologna who was at first appointed as a goldsmith to a certain ‘Francia’, whose name he is said to have adopted in gratitude. He later became a pupil of the celebrated Caradosso who taught him medal engraving. Later still he became one of the leading artists of the Renaissance, court painter and director of the city mint of Bologna. He is mentioned by Vasari in Le vite dei più eccellenti architetti, pittori et scultori italiani; (Firenze 1568), of whom Rafael said: "Felice Italia che in se chiude, Si sublime ingegno e si bella effigie, Che fanno al cielo e a natura guerra". Francia is well known to have worked for Isabella d’Este, Federico’s mother, a prominent patron of the arts and foundress of one of the greatest coin and medal collections of the Italian Renaissance.

Alessandro Magnaguti himself is of course remembered, among other things, as the last coin collector from that most famous of Mantuan noble families, the House of Gonzaga.