Bronze Medal Bearing The Likeness Of Philip Ii, After A Design By Leone Leoni

Bronze medal bearing the effigy of Philip II, King of Spain and King Consort of England, after Leone Leoni.
Habsburg territories in Spain, second half of the 16th century

This bronze medal features a portrait of Philip II (1527–1598), King of Spain and King Consort of England through his marriage to Mary Tudor in 1554. The effigy is based on the model created by Leone Leoni (1509–1590), sculptor and medalist to the imperial court. Trained in Milan, Leoni was one of the principal architects of the Habsburgs’ official image, and his portraits of Charles V and his son permanently established Spanish royal iconography.

The reverse depicts the Legend of Alfred III, King of Mercia. This type is known from a late 15th-century specimen from the Southern Netherlands preserved at the Cleveland Museum of Art. The combination of a portrait based on Leoni’s work and an older reverse demonstrates how models circulated and were reused in medalists’ workshops during the 16th century.

The medal has an integrated loop at the top. It was therefore intended to be worn or hung, which suggests it served as an object of dynastic devotion or a symbol of allegiance to the sovereign.

Beautiful brown patina. Signs of wear consistent with the object’s age and history of use.

Dimensions: diameter 6 cm; height of the loop 0.5 cm

Related works:

• Leone Leoni, The Infante Philip of Spain, later Philip II of Spain, 1549, cast bronze, diam. 8.3 cm, New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1936, inv. 36.110.13.
• Southern Netherlands or Flanders, Legend of Alfred III, King of Mercia, late 15th century, bronze, diam. 5.2 cm, Cleveland, Cleveland Museum of Art, inv. 1985.85.