LEONARDO DA VINCI 1452-1519

Gian Cristoforo ROMANO Rome, 1456–Lorette, 1512 Portrait Medal of Isabella d’Este Bronze 1498 Isabella d’Este (1474–1539), Marchioness of Mantua through her marriage to Francesco II Gonzaga, commissioned a portrait medal in 1495 from the sculptor Gian Cristoforo Romano. Several copies (with variations) were made.The back of the medal shows a winged Victory under the sign of Sagittarius and a star, symbolising Isabella’s birth under favourable auspices. Department of Coins, Medals and Antiquities, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris, AV.1749 Attributed to Gian Cristoforo ROMANO Rome, 1456–Lorette, 1512 Presumed Portrait of Isabella d’Este, Marchioness of Mantua Terracotta, traces of colour About 1500 This remarkable terracotta bust was originally painted. Although its attribution and the sitter’s identity have been called into question, the bust is generally associated with the sketch in the Louvre, due to the striking resemblance between the drawn and sculpted profiles. Kimbell Art Museum, Fort Worth, inv. AP 2004.01 129 130