Italy, Rome, late 15th century, uniface pierced bronze plaquette of Hercules and...

Italy, Rome, late 15th century, uniface pierced bronze plaquette of Hercules and the Centaur by Galeazzo Mondella, called Moderno (1467–1528). Moderno's signature almost removed by tooling from the edifice of the building on the left, Molinier 195, Kress 136, 68.7×54.5 mm, 59.31 g, marked B.M. in lower left margin, Lugt 25959 - a very fine early cast with a lovely patina.

The Veronse artist, Galeazzo Mondella counts among the most renowned producers of Renaissance bronze plaques thanks to his great vitrosity in metalwork, his bold compositions and his ability to bring Antiquity to life.

Ex. Christian Tual; ex. Hyppolite Boissel de Monville (1794–1873).

Baron de Monville was a learned botanist but also acted as an art agent for the Rothschilds. He was however also a highly esteemed collector in his own rights and the Italian bronzes from the formidable 1861 auction sale remains a highly coveted provenance.

Category: Coins, Medals & Banknotes ▸ Historical medals ▸ World Medals