- Personage:
-
Leon Battista Alberti
Leon Battista Alberti, Architect of Florence (1405-1472).
- Artist:
-
Matteo de’ Pasti
—
Medallist, Sculptor, Painter. Verona, 1405-1467.
Matteo de’ Pasti lived mainly at the court of the Malatesta in Rimini.
- Description:
-
Obverse: · LEO BAPTISTA · · ALBERTVS · Bust to the left, wearing close-fitting dress.
Reverse: · MATTHAEI · PASTII · VERONENSIS · OPVS · Around a wreath of laurel, within which a winged human eye and the motto · QVID · TVM ·
- Background:
-
Likely cast in 1446 or shortly after; the winged eye possibly refers to Alberti’s invention in optical science.
- Diameter:
- 87.3 mm. Bronze cast.
- Evaluation:
- Good patina. Slight wear. Likely original cast.
- Reference:
- Hill, Corpus 161; Arm I, 17/1; Kress 56; Pollard 40.