Object Description
55 TOMMASO RANGONE of Ravenna (1493-1577), known as Philologus; doctor, philosopher and astronomer
Obv. Bust to right, bearded, in gown. Around, . THOMAS . PHILOLOGVS . RAVENNAS .
Rev. Jupiter, disguised as an eagle, brings the infant Hercules to Juno, who reclines in a circle of stars; below, lilies and birds. Around, . A . lOVE . ET . SORORE . GENITA
Bronze, 38 mm. Hole at top
The reverse illustrates the mythological creation of the Milky Way and probably refers to Rangone's own adoption. Jupiter, wishing to gain immortality for his son Hercules, brings him to Juno to nurse. Her milk falling in heaven creates the Milky Way; on Earth it creates lilies. Tommaso Rangone was a patron of both Jacopo Sansovino and Alessandro Vittoria. Sansovino is not known as a medalist, while Vittoria is. However, the handling of this medal is unlike that of Vittoria's known medals, and since Sansovino is the author of the monumental portrait of Rangone on the facade of S. Giuliano in Venice, the medal has been attributed to him. Pasi suggests that, as the will of Rangone mentions only medals by Matteo della Fede and Vittoria, the attribution of this medal to Sansovino should be rejected. Middeldorf (private communication) maintains the attribution to Sansovino on stylistic grounds.
Bibl.: Arm. 2, p. 196, 20; Kress, no. 417 b; Habich, p. 129, pl. 86, 6; Fabriczy, pp. 82-83, pl. 16, 6 (as Vittoria); Supino, no. 675 (as Modenese); Brescia i, p. 91, no. 635; MM. I, p. 301, pl. 65, 5 (incised in field, 1562), 6; Forrer 6, p. 288 (as Vittoria); Francesco Cessi, Alessandro Vittoria, medaglista (1525-1608), Trento 1960, pp. 76-77, pl. 15 (as Vittoria, ca. 1560?); E. Mandowsky, '"The Origin of the Milky Way' in the National Gallery," Burlington Magazine 72 (1938), pp. 88, 89, 93 (where Tintoretto's painting of the same subject is firstconnected to Rangone); R. Pasi, "Le medaglie del ravennate Tommaso Rangoni detto il Filologo," Medaglia 3, no. 6 (1973), pp. 6-24.
