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https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68735#0148
469 PART III
The medallist’s signatures, as stated above, are a., f.a.b., op. f.a.b., and fra.an.brix.
me fecit. He uses a characteristic lettering, with the o sloping backwards (in this and
in the stops placed on the base line instead of in the middle he shows the influence of
the printing press). But he seldom if ever on his signed medals uses the bar-less a,
which is frequently found on the work of the ‘ Medallist of 1523’, who otherwise closely
resembles him in lettering.
No dates are found on his medals, but that of Albertino Papafava cannot be much
later than 1487, that of Savorgnan cannot be earlier than 1514, the date of his defence
of Osopo, and that of Niccold Michiel is not earlier than 1500, and is very possibly of
that year. In the following list no attempt has been made at chronological arrangement.
The artist’s work seems all to have been done outside of Brescia (which is doubtless
why he took the trouble to emphasize his origin in his signature); his medals show his
connexions to have been with Padua, Treviso, Verona, and Venice.
In style the medallist shows remarkable fidelity of portraiture, without much imagi-
nation; the medal of Niccold Michiel and his wife is a masterpiece of realistic but homely
presentation, very different from the swagger of the ‘ Medallist of 1523 ’; most of the
persons represented by him are also comparatively obscure.
The fact that the figure on the reverse of the medal of Vonica is exactly similar
(but for sex) to the Apollo (or Jason?) standing with a dead dragon at his feet on a well-
known plaquette has caused the uncritical attribution to the medallist of that and some
other plaquettes. It is more likely that the medallist borrowed from the plaquette
artist, who has a charming fancy and much more imagination.
H. Bolzenthal, Skizzen (1840), pp. 72-4. J. Friedlander, Ital. Schaumunzen (1882), pp. 91-3. Arm., Medailleurs, i
(1883), pp. 102-3; ii (1883), p. 289; iii (1887), p. 29. Molinier, Les plaquettes {A&6), i, pp. 80-5. A. Heiss, Medailleurs,
Ven. (1887), pp. 115-18. Fabriczy, Ital. Medals (1904), pp. 77-8. L. Forrer, Diet., i (1904), p. 61. Bode, Berlin Beschr. d.
Bildw. d. Chr. Ep., ii (1904), pp. 90-1. Thieme-Becker, Lex., i (1907), pp. 581-2. J. de Foville, Francesco da Brescia in
Bev. Num. (1912), pp. 419-28. Regling in Archiv, ii (1920-1), pp. 1 ff. Hill, Med. Ren. (1920), pp. 60-1. Bange,
Berlin Beschr. d. Bildw. d. Chr. Ep., ii (1922), pp. 88-9. Habich, Med. d. ital. Ren. (1924), p. 59.
SIGNED MEDALS
CARRARA (Albertino Papafava da).
469. Obv. ALBERT1NVS . PAPAF . Bust 1.,
with short beard and long hair falling to
shoulders, wearing pleated shirt and coat (?)
over.
Rev. F.A.B (in exergue). On a two-wheeled
fantastic car drawn r. by two unicorns, a
woman seated, fully draped, her hair streaming
in the wind, in her extended 1. a fire (?).
Arm. I, 103, 5 (46 mm.). [a. Pl. 88.]
{a) Milan (Brera), | 48 mm. Arm., loc. cit. Litta, Car-
raresi, no. 14. Friedl., p. 93, no. 3. Heiss, Ven., p. 117
(Heiss wrongly says that the animals have no horns).
Not later than 1487, when Albertino died. The A’s on
the obverse may possibly be bar-less, but the cast is rough
and this is not certain.
a different artist from F.A.B. who, he says with characteristic levity, might be Francia Aurifex Bononiensis. Foville
inclines to Francesco di Antonio, or to regard An. as a surname. But that it cannot stand for his second or his father’s
name is proved by the fact that the signature is sometimes merely A ; the artist would not sign with his second name or
with his father’s alone. That An. can be used for the usual Ant. for Antonio is shown by the signature of the
engraver IO. AN.BX (Giov. Antonio da Brescia). Bange forces the evidence in favour of FRA representing Francesco
by printing Fra.
F. is a quite normal abbreviation of Frater (it is found, e. g., on the medal of Fra Antonio Marcello by this very artist)
and is much more likely to stand therefor than that Fra. should stand for Franciscus. As a parallel to F.A.B. may be
adduced the signature F.R.B. {Frater Raphael Brixiensis') of the Brescian intarsia-master {Comm. dell'Ateneo di Brescia,
1878, p. 206). Brescia produced in Fra Giulio (Rizzini, lllustr. de’ Civici Musei di Brescia, ii, no. 179; Hill in Festschr.
f. G. Habich (1928), p. 10) another friar-medallist who was much influenced by the artist in question. Foville’s further
notion that the ‘Medallist of 1523’ and this artist are one and the same need not be considered seriously. The medals
of the former are all of a later date than those of the Brescian, and there is no explanation why the latter should suddenly
have ceased to sign his work. There is also a radical difference in conception between the two series (see Hill, Med. Ren.,
pp. 60-1, and Regling in Archiv, ii, p. 5), although the stylistic connexion between them is undeniable.
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The medallist’s signatures, as stated above, are a., f.a.b., op. f.a.b., and fra.an.brix.
me fecit. He uses a characteristic lettering, with the o sloping backwards (in this and
in the stops placed on the base line instead of in the middle he shows the influence of
the printing press). But he seldom if ever on his signed medals uses the bar-less a,
which is frequently found on the work of the ‘ Medallist of 1523’, who otherwise closely
resembles him in lettering.
No dates are found on his medals, but that of Albertino Papafava cannot be much
later than 1487, that of Savorgnan cannot be earlier than 1514, the date of his defence
of Osopo, and that of Niccold Michiel is not earlier than 1500, and is very possibly of
that year. In the following list no attempt has been made at chronological arrangement.
The artist’s work seems all to have been done outside of Brescia (which is doubtless
why he took the trouble to emphasize his origin in his signature); his medals show his
connexions to have been with Padua, Treviso, Verona, and Venice.
In style the medallist shows remarkable fidelity of portraiture, without much imagi-
nation; the medal of Niccold Michiel and his wife is a masterpiece of realistic but homely
presentation, very different from the swagger of the ‘ Medallist of 1523 ’; most of the
persons represented by him are also comparatively obscure.
The fact that the figure on the reverse of the medal of Vonica is exactly similar
(but for sex) to the Apollo (or Jason?) standing with a dead dragon at his feet on a well-
known plaquette has caused the uncritical attribution to the medallist of that and some
other plaquettes. It is more likely that the medallist borrowed from the plaquette
artist, who has a charming fancy and much more imagination.
H. Bolzenthal, Skizzen (1840), pp. 72-4. J. Friedlander, Ital. Schaumunzen (1882), pp. 91-3. Arm., Medailleurs, i
(1883), pp. 102-3; ii (1883), p. 289; iii (1887), p. 29. Molinier, Les plaquettes {A&6), i, pp. 80-5. A. Heiss, Medailleurs,
Ven. (1887), pp. 115-18. Fabriczy, Ital. Medals (1904), pp. 77-8. L. Forrer, Diet., i (1904), p. 61. Bode, Berlin Beschr. d.
Bildw. d. Chr. Ep., ii (1904), pp. 90-1. Thieme-Becker, Lex., i (1907), pp. 581-2. J. de Foville, Francesco da Brescia in
Bev. Num. (1912), pp. 419-28. Regling in Archiv, ii (1920-1), pp. 1 ff. Hill, Med. Ren. (1920), pp. 60-1. Bange,
Berlin Beschr. d. Bildw. d. Chr. Ep., ii (1922), pp. 88-9. Habich, Med. d. ital. Ren. (1924), p. 59.
SIGNED MEDALS
CARRARA (Albertino Papafava da).
469. Obv. ALBERT1NVS . PAPAF . Bust 1.,
with short beard and long hair falling to
shoulders, wearing pleated shirt and coat (?)
over.
Rev. F.A.B (in exergue). On a two-wheeled
fantastic car drawn r. by two unicorns, a
woman seated, fully draped, her hair streaming
in the wind, in her extended 1. a fire (?).
Arm. I, 103, 5 (46 mm.). [a. Pl. 88.]
{a) Milan (Brera), | 48 mm. Arm., loc. cit. Litta, Car-
raresi, no. 14. Friedl., p. 93, no. 3. Heiss, Ven., p. 117
(Heiss wrongly says that the animals have no horns).
Not later than 1487, when Albertino died. The A’s on
the obverse may possibly be bar-less, but the cast is rough
and this is not certain.
a different artist from F.A.B. who, he says with characteristic levity, might be Francia Aurifex Bononiensis. Foville
inclines to Francesco di Antonio, or to regard An. as a surname. But that it cannot stand for his second or his father’s
name is proved by the fact that the signature is sometimes merely A ; the artist would not sign with his second name or
with his father’s alone. That An. can be used for the usual Ant. for Antonio is shown by the signature of the
engraver IO. AN.BX (Giov. Antonio da Brescia). Bange forces the evidence in favour of FRA representing Francesco
by printing Fra.
F. is a quite normal abbreviation of Frater (it is found, e. g., on the medal of Fra Antonio Marcello by this very artist)
and is much more likely to stand therefor than that Fra. should stand for Franciscus. As a parallel to F.A.B. may be
adduced the signature F.R.B. {Frater Raphael Brixiensis') of the Brescian intarsia-master {Comm. dell'Ateneo di Brescia,
1878, p. 206). Brescia produced in Fra Giulio (Rizzini, lllustr. de’ Civici Musei di Brescia, ii, no. 179; Hill in Festschr.
f. G. Habich (1928), p. 10) another friar-medallist who was much influenced by the artist in question. Foville’s further
notion that the ‘Medallist of 1523’ and this artist are one and the same need not be considered seriously. The medals
of the former are all of a later date than those of the Brescian, and there is no explanation why the latter should suddenly
have ceased to sign his work. There is also a radical difference in conception between the two series (see Hill, Med. Ren.,
pp. 60-1, and Regling in Archiv, ii, p. 5), although the stylistic connexion between them is undeniable.
[ 124 ]