Isotta degli Atti, 1432/1433-1474, Mistress 1446, then Wife after 1453, of Sigismondo Malatesta [obverse]

Art Historical Context

Behold the exquisite bronze portrait medal of *Isotta degli Atti (1432/1433–1474), crafted around 1454 by Matteo de'i, a masterful Italian sculptor and medalist active in the Renaissance courts of northern Italy. This obverse captures Isotta, who began as the mistress of the powerful condottiero Sigismondo Malesta in 1446 becoming his wife after 1453. Measuring just 4.15 cm in diameter and weighing 44.3 grams, the medal's intimate scale invites close admiration, evoking the classical Roman coins that inspired Renaissance artists. Matteo de' Pasti, known for his work at Sigismondo's Tempio Malatestiano in Rimini, exemplifies the era's humanist revival through this finely cast bronze piece. Portrait medals like this one emerged in the 15th century as a novel art form, blending sculpture's three-dimensionality with numismatic precision. The profile view, aligned on an 11:00 axis, highlights de' Pasti's skill in rendering delicate features and intricate details, celebrating Isotta's beauty and status amid the turbulent politics of Malatesta's Rimini. Housed in the National Gallery of Art's Samuel H. Kress Collection, this medal offers a window into Renaissance patronage and personal drama—Isotta's story intertwined with one of Italy's most notorious lords. A testament to bronze's enduring luster, it reminds us how small objects can immortalize larger-than-life figures.

About the Artist

Matteo de' Pasti · 1420–1467

Matteo de' Pasti (c. 1420–c. 1467) was an Italian medalist, illuminator, and architect active in the mid-fifteenth century, best known as the principal artist of the brilliant humanist court of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta in Rimini. The precise details of his early training are not fully documented, but he was active as a miniature painter and illuminator before establishing himself as one of th...