Balduino del Monte, died 1556, Brother of Pope Julius III, Count of Monte Sansovino 1550 [obverse]

Art Historical Context

This exquisite bronze medal, struck in the mid-16th century the renowned Italian artist Giovanni da Cavino, honors Balduino del Monte (d. 1556), brother of Pope Julius III and newly appointed Count of Monte Sansov in 1550. Measuring just 4.26 cm in diameter and weighing 29.27, its obverse likely features a portrait of Bal, capturing the Renaissance fascination with individualized likenesses and classical antiquity. Cavino, a master medalist from Padua, was celebrated for his intricate struck medals—produced by hammering metal between engraved dies—which allowed for sharp details and high relief surpassing cast examples. Medals like this one were prized Renaissance collectibles, blending sculpture and numismatics to commemorate nobility and papal kin during a time of Church influence and humanistic revival. Pope Julius III's brief reign (1550–1555) saw family elevations amid Counter-Reformation tensions, making this piece a snapshot of dynastic pride. Donated through the Samuel H. Kress Collection to the National Gallery of Art, it exemplifies the era's technical innovation and cultural prestige, inviting visitors to ponder the intimate scale of power immortalized in metal.

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...