NASSARO, MATTEO DAL (Ital.). 1515- † 1547 or 1548. Painter, Goldsmith, Gem-, and Coin-engraver, and Medallist, son of a shoemaker of Verona, Jacopo dal Nassaro. In his youth, he learned drawing and music, and was taught engraving by the two Veronese artists, Galeazzo Mondella, who was a clever daughtsman, and Niccolo Avanzi, who distinguished himself at Rome. One of his first works of note was a Deposition from the Cross in bloodstone, so managed that the sanguine spots of the jasper represented the blood issuing from the wounds; it became the property of the Duchess Isabella d'Este of Mantua. A Crucifixion was treated in a similar way. Soon after the battle of Marignano, Matteo went over to France, either at the request of Francis I., or attracted there by the protection extended to Italian artists. The French king, who was a liberal patron of the art, purchased a number of his gems, and attached him to his Court, where he chiefly engraved cameos, the fashionable ornaments of the day. A head of Dejaneira by him was greatly admired, in which the various layers of the agate gave the different colours of the flesh, the hair, and the lion's hide drawn over her head (King, op. cit.,p. 263). Francis I. placed this stone in his casket, and commissioned from the artist a portable. Oratory adorned with numerous gems, bas-reliefs, and statuettes in gold. Of this same period are a Portrait-intaglio of Francis I., in the Cabinet des Médailles, Paris (with the initials F. I. on the back) and one of two commemorative medals of the Battle of Marignano, which M. H. De La Tour has attributed to Dal Nassaro from conclusive evidence. The intaglio measures 22x25 mill. Mariette and Chabouillet had already seen in this fine gem a work of the famous Italian engraver. De La Tour observes, in connection with it : "Matteo est sans conteste l'un des plus habiles parmi tous les artistes qui nous ont laissé, sur la pierre ou sur le métal, les traits de Francois I. II combine et coordonne bien l'ensemble, il dessine et mod?le vigoureusement; il attaque, creuse et approfondit la pierre avec un brio et un entrain merveilleux; il a surtout, dans les rinceaux de la cuirasse, peut-?tre un peu trop saillant pour l'effet général, une souplesse et une habileté consommées. C'est l? une ?uvre de maître “ (Rev. num., 1893, p. 540). The commemorative medal of the Battle of Marignano measures 36 mill, in diameter. On the R. is a representation of the battle, with Milan in the background from which the Swiss emerged on their attack on the French. Chabouillet and Babelon have ascribed to Dal Nassaro another intaglio in the Paris Medal Cabinet, depicting a battle scene, which according to Mariette was copied from Raphael's drawing of the Battle of Constantine on the Milvian bridge. It bears an inscription, op.ns which has been interpreted into opus nassari. A group of Venus and Cupid, probably by the same artist, is praised for the ideal purity of the drawing, the material, and engraving. To him has further been ascribed a cameo in the Imperial Collection at Vienna, the subject of which is Noah and the animals issuing from the Ark. The artist set so high a value on his works that he gave them away as presents rather than submit to what he considered too low an offer; he is said to have broken to pieces a fine cameo which had not been accepted by a nobleman under such circumstances. A document of 1521 records a payment of 184 livres made to Matteo for " les pourtraictz de 92 histoires de bergeryes prises dans les bucoliques ". After the defeat of Pavia (1525), the artist returned to Vienna, but was recalled to Paris by Francis immediately upon the recovery of his freedom, and settled definitively in France where he married and had several children. He was granted a yearly pension of 300 gold écus beside numerous gratifications, and was employed by the King, the French mint, and noblemen of the Court. Matteo never filled the office of Mint-master or Engraver as Vasari pretends, but lie executed patterns (or models) for coins, “ coings des monnoyes et testons", and a medal which he struck from the " coing desdicts testons par le commandement dudit seigneur" (Francis I.). In 1519, he received a royal bounty in the sum of 112 livres to reimburse him for money expended in the purchase of tools and appliances necessary in the production of this work. The medal mentioned here is in reality the Double Ducat of Milan, with bust of Francis I. Only two specimens are known, one of which is in the Paris Medal Cabinet. The Pattern Testoon by Matteo exists in gold and silver, in two varieties. " Par tous ses caract?res, " remarks De La Tour, " l'ensemble et les détails, la composition, le style, le relief des lettres, la couronne placée sous le buste, la forme de l'écu, celle des gr?netis, etc., cet essai se détache de toutes les autres monnaies du r?gne de François I. et m?me de tous les autres r?gnes. A cela s'ajoute une indéniable et frappante tournure italienne. " In 1631 Matteo received 100 écus "for a vase intended for Madame, and 50 écus to erect machinery (mills) for making other vases". We learn from this that the artist was also an engine-builder; his was probably the first workshop in France for the cutting and engraving of precious stones. In a document of 1534, the mill is thus described : " Un moulin porté par basreaulx pour pollir dyamans, aymeraudes, agattes et aultres esp?ces de pierres." It was known as the " Moulin de la Gourdayne". Dal Nassaro's name occurs for the last time in the account of the king's privy purse in 1539, when Francis I. remitted 1400 livres to " Mathée d'Alnassar, painctre, vallet de chambre et graveur dudit seigneur, pour le parfaict de ses gaiges des années 1536, 1537 et 1538, a ladicte raison de 600 livres par an ". Notwithstanding, he still remained in the king's service for several years, and probably until his death which occurred in 1547 or 1548, soon after that of his Royal benefactor. After the Battle of Cérisoles (1641), Matteo executed a commemorative medal, with bust of Francis I. on obv., absolutely identical with that of his former medals and coins, and on R. the King, in Roman dress, seated on curule chair, between Victory (or Bellona) and Mars, a design copied from the R. of Cristoforo Geremia's medal ol Alfonso of Aragon. Contemporaneous with this medal are an intaglio and the fine large cameo with portrait of Francis I., reproduced by Babelon, Histoire de la Gravure, etc., PI. X, 3. Both works are attributed to Matteo by Chabouillet; Babelon is less positive, although he believes that the medal and the cameo are by the same hand ; but De La Tour objects to the style of the cameo which he does not consider in keeping with that of the medal. Raspe, Tassie Gems, describes, as by Dal Nassaro, or in his style, the following gems : —Two men, one in the character of Venus, the other as Caesar, and two ladies armed as Amazons, killing with their lances two bulls attacked by a bear and a lion ; above, is seen a divinity with a torch which Mariette supposed to be Saturn ; — A Bull fight ; Amazon on horseback and two cavaliers, etc. (3 var.) ; — Herakles carrying a stag on his shoulders in the presence of satyrs and fauns ; — Herakles with his club and other heroes fighting with the Amazons ; — Battle of Constantine, mentioned above ; — Battle of cavalry and infantry with Mars in the clouds ; — Battle of four horsemen, two of whom are dismounted; — A skirmish of cavalry and infantry; — Portrait of Francis I., in white agate. All these gems are in the Paris Cabinet des Médailles, Biblioth?que Nationale. Babelon suggests the attribution to Matteo of a beautiful ewer in rock crystal and mounted in silver-gilt, which is preserved in the Louvre museum. It bears the arms of Bourbon, and may have been executed for the Constable of Bourbon, who perished so miserably in 1527. Dal Nassaro's name occurs in various forms in the accounts : DALNASSAR, DALNASSAY, DALNASSAC, NAZARE, MESSIRE MATTÉE, etc. Vasari makes of Matteo a master of modern glyptics ; De La Tour, while not denying his talent, does not think his influence was very marked on the French coinage, and it Marc Béchot was his pupil, he fortunately preserved his own personality. A clever draughtsman, of rare technical abilities, he lacked in inspiration, correction and force ; he was more of an imitator than an originator, although some of his portraits in precious stones rank amongst the finest of the Renaissance. Babelon sums up his notice of the artist by the following comment : " Matteo dal Nassaro fut donc l'artiste italien qui introduisit en France les procédés de la Gravure sur pierres fines usitées en Italie. II se fit par l? le chef de l'école francaise de la Renaissance. Les él?ves qu'il forma et qui travaill?rent sous sa direction perpétu?rent apr?s lui son art et ses procédés dans notre pays et leurs ouvrages anonymes attestent qu'ils surent s'élever ? la hauteur de leur maître et de leurs émules d'au-del? des Alpes" (p. 134). Bibliography. — H. de la Tour, Matteo dal Nassaro, 1895. — Vasari, Le Vite de pittori, scultori ed archittettori, ed. Milanesi, V, pp. 271, 375-379. — A. de Montaiglon, Gazette des Beaux Arts, 2e série, t. XIII, 556. — Mariette, Traité des pierres gravées. — Armand, Les Médailleurs ilaliens des XVe et XVIe — si?cles, 1887. Babelon, Histoire de la Gravure sur Gemmes en France, 1902. — King, Antique Gems, 1860. — Bolzenthal, op. cit. — Chabouillet, Catalogue, p. 64. — Trésor de numismatique et de glyptique. — J.J. Guiffrey, Nouvelles Archives de I'Art francais, Paris, 1879. — E. Müntz, Histoire de I'Art pendant la Renaissance, II. — Rondot & De La Tour, Les Médailleurs et les Graveurs de monnaies. — Mazerolle, Les Médailleurs francais, 1902. — C. von Fabriczy, Italian Medals, 1904. — E. Plon, Benvenuto Cellini, pp. 59, 150. — J. Arneth, Die cinque cento Cameen. — Babelon, La Monnaie. — Van Mieris, Hist, der nederl. Vorsten, II, 198. — Hoffmann, Monnaies royales de France — Gnecchi, Le Monete di Milano, 1884, PI. XXI, 1. — Charton, Hist, de France, II, 36. — A. Barre, Graveurs généraux et particuliers des monnaies de France, 1867. — Renton, Intaglio-engraving , past and present, London, 1891. — Raspe, Tassie Gems, 1791.
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
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
Mint master:
In medieval and early modern Germany, the Münzmeister ("mint master", the Latin term is monetarius) was the director or administrator of a mint, a moneyer with responsibility for the minting of coins, or specie. His duties were defined differently at different locations and ages.
MORO, JACOBO ANTONIO
MORO, JACOBO ANTONIO (Ital.). Medallist and Coin-engraver, born at Milan, and appointed Mint-engraver at Rome, in succession to Giorgio Rancetti in 1610. He served under Popes Paul V. Borghese and Gregory XV., remaining in office until 1624, when Gaspare Mola was called to fill his post. He died in January 1625. From 1621 he was assisted by Camillo Corradini. One of his finest productions is an Agnus Dei set with intaglios in precious stones. Moro's medals are usually signed : I. A. M. ; — I. A....
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MORO, JACOBO ANTONIO (Ital.). Medallist and Coin-engraver, born at Milan, and appointed Mint-engraver at Rome, in succession to Giorgio Rancetti in 1610. He served under Popes Paul V. Borghese and Gregory XV., remaining in office until 1624, when Gaspare Mola was called to fill his post. He died in January 1625. From 1621 he was assisted by Camillo Corradini. One of his finest productions is an Agnus Dei set with intaglios in precious stones. Moro's medals are usually signed : I. A. M. ; — I. A....
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MORONE-MOLA, GASPARO
MORONE-MOLA, GASPARO (ltal.). Nephew of the renowned Medallist and Coin-engraver Gaspare Mola, and himself also a clever Engraver. The date of his birth is not on record, but we know that in 1633 he was working at Mantua as Mint-engraver there. In 1637 we -find him already in Rome, where he entered into a partnership with Gaspare Mola and Orazio Ghibellini for the production of commemorative and personal medals. On the death of his uncle, he was appointed his successor as Engraver at the Papal Z...
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MORONE-MOLA, GASPARO (ltal.). Nephew of the renowned Medallist and Coin-engraver Gaspare Mola, and himself also a clever Engraver. The date of his birth is not on record, but we know that in 1633 he was working at Mantua as Mint-engraver there. In 1637 we -find him already in Rome, where he entered into a partnership with Gaspare Mola and Orazio Ghibellini for the production of commemorative and personal medals. On the death of his uncle, he was appointed his successor as Engraver at the Papal Z...
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MORRIS, WILLIAM
MORRIS, WILLIAM (Brit.). Poet and artistic Decorator, born near London in 1834, died, 3. October 1896. He was educated at Marlborough College and Oxford, where he became intimately acquainted with Burne-Jones. In 1863 he established the business in stained glass and decorations which bears his name. Morris has been the great English exponent of the revival of artistic taste throughout Europe within the last twenty-five years, and as such his name cannot be omitted here. " He it was", says one of...
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MORRIS, WILLIAM (Brit.). Poet and artistic Decorator, born near London in 1834, died, 3. October 1896. He was educated at Marlborough College and Oxford, where he became intimately acquainted with Burne-Jones. In 1863 he established the business in stained glass and decorations which bears his name. Morris has been the great English exponent of the revival of artistic taste throughout Europe within the last twenty-five years, and as such his name cannot be omitted here. " He it was", says one of...
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MOSCA
MOSCA or (MUSCA), GIOVAN MARIA, surnamed PADOVANO (Ital.). Architect, Sculptor, and Medallist, born at Padua towards the end of the fifteenth century. He was a pupil of the sculptor Agostino Zoppo. Many of his works, executed in Italy before his settlement in Poland in 1530, may be seen at Padua and Venice. He took part in the decoration of the Chapel del Santo in St. Anthony's church at Padua; in the church of St. Agn?s is a Bas-relief : " The Judgment of Solomon " by him, and above the gate of...
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MOSCA or (MUSCA), GIOVAN MARIA, surnamed PADOVANO (Ital.). Architect, Sculptor, and Medallist, born at Padua towards the end of the fifteenth century. He was a pupil of the sculptor Agostino Zoppo. Many of his works, executed in Italy before his settlement in Poland in 1530, may be seen at Padua and Venice. He took part in the decoration of the Chapel del Santo in St. Anthony's church at Padua; in the church of St. Agn?s is a Bas-relief : " The Judgment of Solomon " by him, and above the gate of...
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