Who was MOLA, GASPARE?

MOLA, GASPARE (ltal.). Goldsmith, Medallist, Coin-engraver, and Chaser in metal, born during the last quarter of the sixteenth century (circ. 1580) at Breglio, in the territory of Como. Nagler, Schlickeysen, Bolzenthal and other writers state in error Lugano as his native town. He was apprenticed to a goldsmith at Milan, where he also learned die-sinking. His first work of note he executed in commission for the celebrated founder Portigiani, who entrusted him with sculptural work for the bronze gates of the Dome of Pisa, circ. 1601. A document of 1607 records a payment made to him of 900 gold scudi for various acquisitions he made on behalf of Duke Charles Emmanuel of Savoy. From this we learn that the artist traded in works of art, especially pictures, bronzes, armoury, etc., and later, when at Rome, he obtained a licence to deal in these. During the early period of his activity, Ferdinand I. de'Medici, favourably impressed by his rising talent, called him over to Florence, appointing him " Maestro delle stampe delle monete ", a post which he retained but for a short time. Cosimo II, on his accession in 1608, induced Mola to come back again to Florence, where for two years, 1609-1611, he filled the post of Chief-engraver at the Zecca. His adventurous journey to the Tuscan capital, and the vexations he endured at the hands of the directors of the Florentine mint, form a curious episode of his life, reminding one of the frasques of Cellini, or Leone Leoni. The artist would not submit to the humiliation of having to copy dies engraved by his colleague, the German Kolb, whose work he and his friends considered far inferior to his own. Many of the coins of Cosimo II. of that period are no doubt by him, but not being signed, it is impossible to distinguish them. From Florence, he passed to the Mints of Guastalla, and Mantua, where in 1613 and 1614 he cut dies for various coins, which, especially the gold Zecchini and silver Scudi of Ferdinando II. Gonzaga, are considered to be very good productions. Many of Mola's authenticated works are still extant at Florence. To the Florentine period of the artist's activity belong the following medals : Portrait-medal of St. Charles Borromaeus (one of the earliest medallic productions of the artist, and said to have been among the acquisitions made in 1607 by Duke Charles Emmanuel I. of Savoy; — Charles-Emmanuel of Savoy, 1606 (illustrated) ; — Ferdinand I. de' Medici, 1598; R. Hercules slaying the centaur Nessus (signed : GASP. M.); — Portrait-medallion of Ferdinand I., uniface (signed : G. M.) ; — Cosimo II., 1610; R. PREMIA VIRTVTIS (signed : GASP. M.) ; — Another, with R. Cross of S. Stefano; — Cosimo II. and Maria Magdalena of Austria, 1599 (signed : GASP. M.-MDIC); — Cosimo II; R. SIDERA. MEDICEA. Jupiter seated ; — Maria Magdalena of Austria ; R. PREMIA VIRTVTIS ; — Cosimo II. and Maria Magdalena, 1618 (signed : G. MOL.); — Another, with their conjoined busts, uniface (signed : GASP. M.) ; — Maria Magdalena; R. A peacock, AETHERA (signed : GASP. ; obv. illustrated); — Ferdinand II., 1623 ; R. PREMIA VIRTVTIS (signed : GAS. MOL.) ; — Another, a variety, etc. A medal with busts on either side of Cosimo II. and Maria Magdalena of Austria bears both signatures of G. MOL and G. DUPRÉ, and Domanig suggests that the portraits modelled by Dupré may have been cast by Mola. The specimen illustrated in Von Fabriczy's work (both English and German editions) is clearly signed by Dupré. Besides these medals are also cameos, works of decorative art and jewellery. " Mola's skill as armourer and goldsmith ", says Von Fabriczy, " is shown in the shield and parade helmet damascened with gold in the Museo Nazionale, which was long believed to be a work of Benvenuto Cellini. He appears before us as a medallist in a series of thirteen medals of the Grand Dukes Ferdinand I., Cosimo II., his wife Maria Magdalena of Austria, and Ferdinand II. In the conception of the physiognomy many of these are capable and fresh, while in the pompous and stiff arrangement they already sound the prelude to the excesses of the barocco in this respect. The extraordinary delicacy of the technical elaboration constantly demoralises the eye of the beholder whose taste is not quite assured. In the portrait of the widowed Grand Duchess (illustrated), executed after 1621, the master produced a piece, which, as far as simplicity and expression are concerned, is worthy to rank beside the best creations of the Cinquecento ". Mola settled at Rome in 1623, and in 1625 was appointed Mintengraver at the Papal Zecca, in succession to Jacobo Antonio Moro, who died in January 1625. The Mint archives preserve a record of the first payment made to him in February 1625 of 15 scudi for work done. According to the most authentic documents, he remained in office until the end of 1639, died on the 26. January 1640, and was buried at Santa Maria Traspontine, although his friend Petrecini mentions his name in 1642 among living artists. Von Fabriczy places his death after 1649, ascribing to him the medals of Innocent X., signed : G. M. This signature, however, occurs on several medals of Alexander VII. (1655-1667), from which fact Bolzenthal concluded that the artist was still living in 1667. The error arose from a confusion of names, as Mola was succeeded at the Papal Mint by his nephew Gaspare Morone-Mola, who signed also his productions : G. M. After 1640 no coins bear Mola's signature, ana the medals of Innocent X. and Alexander VII. always bear only the initials G. M. Mola's last bill in the unfortunately very incomplete accounts of the Papal Mint is of 1639. In 1640 Gaspare Morone appears in these accounts as " Incisore dei Ferri delta Zecca", and remains in this quality until 1669, when he is replaced by Girolamo Lucenti. By Mola are the following coins : Urban VIII. (1623-1644). Al. Scudo, 1625 ; — AR. Scudo, An XII (The Holy Conception ; several varieties, all signed : GAS. MOL. or GASP. MOLO) ; — Same date (TE MANE TE VESPERE.ROMA. The Pope kneeling before the Archangel Michael ; two varieties signed : GAS. MOL. and GASP. MOLA) ; — An XI (VIVIT DEVS . ROMA. The Archangel slaying the Dragon (some varieties unsigned, others with : GAS. M. F. or GAS. MOL. F.); — An XII (Same type; four varieties, signed : GASP. MOLA F.; GASP. MOLA); — An XV (Same type; two varieties, signed : GASP. MOLl) ; — AR. Testone, An XIV (signed : G. MOL. under Pope's bust; R. VIVIT DEVS ; two varieties); — An VIII (several varieties ; AVCTA AD METAVRVM DITIONE. ROMAE Roma seated; signed G. M.) ; and others of lower denominations, as Portrait-Quattrini of year XIII., signed : G. M.; — G. MOLA, or G. MOLI. Mola is also the author of various medals of Urban VIII., who gave him an order for a series of Pontifical medals, partly from former portraits by earlier artists, and partly from his own models. The first he apparently executed at Rome was that issued in 1625 for distribution at the feast of the apostles St. Peter and St. Paul to commend cardinal Barberini on his journey to France. Mola trained two pupils who assisted him in his work : Lazzaro del Solaro, and Francesco Nicolini. In 1632, Mola was temporarily replaced by Alessandro Astesano, but already reinstated in the next year. Amongst his most noteworthy productions is an Agnus Dei set with cameos, a crown of lapis-lazuli, which was presented by the Pope to the Queen of Hungary, a shield, and the following medals : Urban VIII. (1623-1644). The Transfiguration, 1623 ; — Equity, PAX IN VIRTUTE TUA, 1624; — Porta Santa of San Giovanni in Lateran, 1626 (signed : GAS. MOLO); — Another Jubilee Medal, on the Canonization of Santa Maria Maddalena de'Pazzi; — Another, Porta Santa closed, 1625 (several varieties) ; — Plan of Fort Urban, SECURITAS PUBLICA, An IV (signed : GAS. MOLO); — Consecration of St. Peter's cathedral, An IV; — View of the Confessione Vaticana, 1626 (GASP. MOLO) ; — Plan of the castle of Sant' Angelo, 1627; — The Washing of the feet, An V (signed .: GASP. MOLO C. PRIV. S. PONT) ; — Another, with bust of Christ ; — Canonization of S. Andrea Corsini, An VI (signed : GAS. MOLO) ; — View of the harbour of Civita Vecchia, An VI; — The Washing of the feet, An VII; — Roma seated, AUCTA AD METAURUM DITIONE ROM? (medal commemorating the return of the duchy of Urbino to the See on the extinction of the Della Rovere family); — Coronation of the Pope on the feast day of the archangel St. Michael, An VIII ; — The Pope consecrating the Basilica Vaticana, An VIII; — The Pope kneeling before the archangel St. Michael, An IX (signed : GASP. MOLO) ; — View of the Confessione Vaticana, ORNATO SS. PETRI ET PAULI SEPULCHRO, An X (signed : G. MOLO) ; — Facade of the Church of S. Bibiana, An XI (signed: GASP. MOL.);— View of the Church of S. Caius near the Terms of Diocletian, An XII (signed : GAS. MOL.) ; — The Washing of the feet, An XIII (this medal is very common ; I have seen specimens in gold, silver and bronze) ; — Facade of the Church of St. Anastasia, 1636 (signed : GASP. MOLl); — View of the Baptistry of Constantine in St. John Lateran, An XIV; —View of the Pontifical Palace ofCastel Gandolfo, 1639 (signed : GAS. MOL.); — Christ and his disciples in the boat, 1639; — The Church of St. Caius, An XVI; — Assaggium generale, 1639 (medal commemorating the recoinage begun in that year at the Papal Zecca); — View of the Pontifical Arsenal, An XVII (signed : GASP. MOLO.) ; — First Centenary of the Society of Jesuits, An XVII ; — The Quirinal Palace, AD ?DIVM PONTIFICUM SECVRITATEM, 1640 (signed : G. M. F.) ; — The Pope kneeling before the archangel St. Michael, An XVII; — The archangel St. Michael holding scales appearing to the Pope, An XVII, &c. The medal of 1632 with R. Port of Civita Vecchia was engraved by Astesano during his short tenure of office; but probably most of the other annual medals issued at the Zecca between 1625 and 1639 were executed by Mola, who also cut some with likenesses of private individuals, as those of Cassiano Dal Pozzo (mentioned by Bertolotto); — Alessandro Gambalungo, of Rimini; — Charles of Lorraine, prince of Vaudemont, 1621 (signed : GASP., illustrated); — Louis XIII., as a youth ; — and Popes : Leo X. ; — Hadrian VI.; — Clement VII. ; — Paul III. ; — Julius III.; — Marcel II. ; — Paul IV.; — Pius V.; — Gregory XIII. ; — Sixtus V.; — Urban VII. ; —Gregory XIV. ; — Innocent IX. ; — Clement VIII. ; — Leo XI ; — Paul V. ; — Gregory XV., and possibly others. Mola's signature on coins and medals occurs under various forms : GAS. M.; — GAS. MOL. F.; — GASP.M; — GASP.; — GAS. M.; — G. M.; — G. M. F. ; — MOLA ; — MOLO ; — GAS. MOLO ; — GASP. MOLO F. ; — GASPARO MOLO; — G. MOL.; — GASP. MOLI, and G. MO. or G. M. FECIT. In a document of 1642, the artist is named : GASPRO MOLI. Supino (p. 184) states : " L'abilita artistica del Mola ? dimostrata dal celebre scudo ed elmo, ora al Museo Nazionale, per tanto tempo attribuiti a Benvenuto Cellini. Servi prima nella Zecca di Firenze e fece le medaglie con l'impronta di Ferdinando I., Cosimo II., Maria Maddalena d'Austria e Ferdinando II., nonché varj punzoni per monete ; and? poi in quella del duca di Guastalla, e due monete guastallesi da lui coniate portano le date 1613-1614. Fu quindi a Roma e coni? moltissime medaglie per i papi Urbano VIII., Innocenzo X. e Alessandro VII. Sebbene la maggior parte dei suoi lavori siano stati eseguiti nella prima met? del secolo XVII, non risentono affatto del carattere del tempo e si fanno ammirare per la bellezza della modellatura, per l'eleganza dell insieme e la finezza dei particolari ". Bibliography. — Cinagli, Le Monete de' Papi, 1846. — Bolzenthal, op. cit. — Ammon, op. cit. — Madai, Thaler Cabinet, 1766. — Serie dei Conj di Medaglie Pontificie da Martino V. — Pio VII. esistenti nella pontificia zecca di Roma, 1824. — A. Heiss, Florence et les Florentins, II. — Supino, op. cit. — Krohn, Thomsen Catalogue. — Bulletin de la Société suisse de numismatique, 1888, p. 66. — Dr Julius Cahn, op. cit. — E. Plon, Benvenuto Cellini. — Domanig, op. cit. — Hildebrand, op. cit. — Monatsblatt der num. Gesellschaft in Wien, 1897, 77. — Keary, Guide to Italian Medals in the British Museum. — Dr Merzbacher, op. cit. — Rondot, op. cit. — Stroehlin, Sale Catalogue, October 1898. — Schulthess-Rechbergsche Münz-u. Medaillen-Sammlung, Dresden, 1868. — Nagler, op. cit. — Bertolotto, Moro, Gaspare Mola e Gasp. Morone-Mola, Archivio storico lombardo, 1877. — Information kindly supplied by Baron de Bildt, Swedish Minister at Rome.

Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904