Alfonso II d'Avalos, 1502-1546, Marquess of Vasto [obverse]

Art Historical Context

This bronze cast medal, created by the Paduan artist Giovanni da Cavino around 1535–1538, portrays Alfonso II d’Avalos, Marquess of Vasto, on its obverse. A prominent military commander and diplomat in the service of Emperor Charles V, Alfonso was celebrated for his leadership during the Italian Wars. Measuring just under four centimeters in diameter, the small-scale work exemplifies the Renaissance revival of ancient Roman coinage, transforming a classical format into a vehicle for contemporary portraiture and personal commemoration. Cavino specialized in such cast medals, skillfully capturing the sitter’s likeness with crisp relief and balanced composition typical of sixteenth-century Italian medallic art. These portable bronze objects served both as tokens of honor and as diplomatic gifts, allowing elites to circulate idealized images of themselves across courts and cities. The obverse focus on Alfonso’s profile underscores the era’s fascination with individual fame and the humanist ideal of immortalizing virtue through art. Housed in the National Gallery of Art’s Samuel H. Kress Collection, the medal offers visitors a tangible connection to Renaissance court culture. Its modest size belies its role in shaping public memory, blending historical record with artistic refinement.

About the Artist

Giovanni da Cavino · 1500–1570

**Giovanni da Cavino: The Paduan Master of Medals and Antiquity** Giovanni da Cavino, born in May 1500 in Padua to goldsmith Bartolommeo di Giovanni from Cavino d'Arsego, inherited his family's craft from an early age. His father served as his initial master until Bartolommeo's death in 1517, after which Cavino trained in the workshop of the renowned Paduan sculptor Andrea Riccio (1470–1532), who...