Giovanni Maria Pomedelli

Pomedelli was a painter, engraver, goldsmith and medalist. Probably born in Villafranca, near Verona, he was a son of Antonio di Bartolomeo. He received a substantial inheritance from his uncle in 1518 but continued to work in the arts and live in Verona. His earliest dated medal is of 1519 (NGA 1957.14.768.a,b), but he appears to have produced medals between 1511 and 1530. He signed thirteen medals and a further two medals are attributed to him. Although these latter two portray Emperor Charles V and François I, King of France (NGA 1957.14.776.a,b), Pomedelli is not believed to have traveled outside Italy, so that the portraits must have been derived from secondary sources.

Pomedelli's medal portraits are beautiful and individual, and his reverses are a charming mixture of original sculptural composition (NGA 1957.14.768.a,b) and pretty plagiarism (NGA 1957.14.773.a,b). He indicated his authorship of medals by both signing them and using a symbol composed of an apple (a reference to his family name and coat-of-arms, which included six apples), a monogram of ZUAN, and his punch and graver.

Text © National Gallery of Art, 2020