Medal of Gianello della Torre
by TREZZO, Jacopo da, Bronze, cast, diameter 9 cm
The Latin inscription along the edge of the medal indicates that Gianello (1500-1585) was a clockmaker and architect from the city of Cremona. One of his contemporaries described him as a “bull in human form,” and his rough features in this medal reflect this characterization. A collector of timepieces would have been thrilled to have a portrait of a prominent clockmaker. This medal was produced before Jacopo da Trezzo left Milan in 1555 for the Southern Netherlands to enter the service of King Philip II of Spain.
The portrait on the obverse is forceful, and the details of hair, beard and drapery are delicately modelled without being fussy. The reverse, showing the Fountain of the Sciences, is a masterpiece of relief sculpture with expressive movement, strong modelling, subtle variations in relief and a precise but lively depiction of faces, water, and drapery.