St. James's Auctions
Auction 66 22 Sep 2022
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Italy, Cardinal Giacomo Sannesio (c. 1557/1560-1621), Art Collector and Patron of Caravaggio, cast bronze medal, c. 1604, Roman School, unsigned, bust three-quarters l., wearing his Cardinal's vestments, IAC. TIT. S. STEPIANI. IN. M. CŒL. PR. CARD. SANNESIV[S], rev. Cardinal's galero with six tassels either side, above shield of arms, a running dog, head turned, star above, 42mm. (Armand II, 137, 12, mis-attributed), some tooling to field on obverse, nearly very fine and a medal believed unpublished and of exceptional rarity
Giacomo Sannesio was born in Belforte del Chiente, studied law and, on moving to Rome, held several Church appointments and served under the younger Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandi (1571-1621), also a patron of the arts. He was elevated to Cardinal in 1604 by Pope Clement VIII and appointed Cardinal-Priest of the titular church of Santo Stefano Rotondo in Rome (as shown in the medal's legend). In 1605 he was elected Bishop of Orvieto. Whilst the medal's portrait is close one painted in 1609 by Guido Reni (1575-1642), the detailed legend and Cardinal's arms, but lack of reference to Orvieto, indicates that it is linked to 1604 elevation and appointment, rather than later. Sannesio certainly purchased paintings from Caravaggio and his patronage also included the painter Giovanni Lanfranco (1582-1647) from about 1606. Sannesio is buried in the church of San Silvestro al Quirinale.
Alfred Armand lists the medal from a specimen in his own collection (Les médailleurs italiens des XVe et XVIe siècles... 1883-1887) but, most unusually, he mis-attributes it to be of the Spanish born Jaime de Casanova (c. 1435-1504). Casanova had also been elevated (by Pope Alexander VI) to be Cardinal-Priest of the titular church of Santo Stefano Rotondo, though a century before Sannesio, on 31 May, 1503. A second specimen is in the British Museum, acquired from George III (George III. 1017).
(200-400 GBP)
Giacomo Sannesio was born in Belforte del Chiente, studied law and, on moving to Rome, held several Church appointments and served under the younger Cardinal Pietro Aldobrandi (1571-1621), also a patron of the arts. He was elevated to Cardinal in 1604 by Pope Clement VIII and appointed Cardinal-Priest of the titular church of Santo Stefano Rotondo in Rome (as shown in the medal's legend). In 1605 he was elected Bishop of Orvieto. Whilst the medal's portrait is close one painted in 1609 by Guido Reni (1575-1642), the detailed legend and Cardinal's arms, but lack of reference to Orvieto, indicates that it is linked to 1604 elevation and appointment, rather than later. Sannesio certainly purchased paintings from Caravaggio and his patronage also included the painter Giovanni Lanfranco (1582-1647) from about 1606. Sannesio is buried in the church of San Silvestro al Quirinale.
Alfred Armand lists the medal from a specimen in his own collection (Les médailleurs italiens des XVe et XVIe siècles... 1883-1887) but, most unusually, he mis-attributes it to be of the Spanish born Jaime de Casanova (c. 1435-1504). Casanova had also been elevated (by Pope Alexander VI) to be Cardinal-Priest of the titular church of Santo Stefano Rotondo, though a century before Sannesio, on 31 May, 1503. A second specimen is in the British Museum, acquired from George III (George III. 1017).
(200-400 GBP)