Gianfrancesco Riding in a Rocky Landscape, with a Companion [reverse] c. 1445 - 1447

This is a cast medal of Gianfrancesco Gonzaga made by the Italian artist Pisanello in the first half of the fifteenth century. During the Renaissance, portrait medals served to immortalize and celebrate individuals, usually from the upper classes. Here, Gianfrancesco, a military leader, is depicted on horseback with a companion in a rocky landscape, symbolizing power and dominion. The landscape grounds the sitter in this commemorative object, yet there is no sense of his relationship to it. The representation of masculinity is central here, presenting a stoic and controlled image of the man. The medal develops alternative narratives about identity and status, using the conventions of Renaissance portraiture to highlight individual achievements and nobility, while simultaneously placing him within a historical and cultural context.