Georg Vitill, born 1491, of Augsburg

Art Historical Context

This lead portrait medal, created by the German sculptor Friedrich Hagenauer in 1527, captures Georg Vitill of Augsburg at age thirty-six. Measuring just under six centimeters in diameter, the small circular relief offers an intimate likeness of its subject, whose name and birthplace are inscribed along the edge. Hagenauer, active during the Northern Renaissance, specialized in such commemorative medals, which served as portable records of notable individuals in the early sixteenth century. Cast in lead, a material prized for its fine detail and affordability, the work exemplifies the era’s growing interest in personal portraiture outside traditional painting or sculpture. These medals often circulated among scholars, merchants, and civic leaders, blending art with social documentation. Vitill’s portrait, preserved today in the National Gallery of Art’s Samuel H. Kress Collection, invites viewers to consider how Renaissance artists used modest formats to honor everyday figures and preserve their place in history.

About the Artist

Friedrich Hagenauer · 1490–1546

Friedrich Hagenauer (c. 1490–c. 1546) was a German sculptor and medallist of the Northern Renaissance whose finely wrought portrait medals and carved reliefs placed him among the most accomplished practitioners of his craft in early sixteenth-century Germany. The details of his early life and training remain incompletely documented, but he is believed to have been born in Strasbourg and to have re...