The Death of Marcus Curtius

Label

Bronze plaquettes and medals were sought after by European collectors in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Made at a time when scholars and artists were increasingly interested in the Greek and Roman past, these metal casts could feature ancient history and myths to inspire their viewers. This group of bronzes celebrates ancient soldiers as models of valor. Such exemplars included both archetypal fighters and named figures. For instance, two plaquettes celebrate the mythological soldier Marcus Curtius, who sacrificed himself to the gods to save Rome by jumping into a crevasse. Other plaquettes feature imagined ancient battles, pausing the soldiers in courageous moments; they defend their city and drive back their enemies. In addition to being collected by the nobility, such medals could also be given as gifts as rewards for brave deeds.

Themes of chivalry and masculinity were popular for small reliefs that could be adapted into personal adornments. Plaquettes by Giovanni di Fondulino Fonduli were so consistently transformed into sword pommels, book bindings, and hat badges that the artist seemingly selected scenes specifically to appeal to collectors. Both Fondulino Fonduli and Moderno depicted an episode from Livy’s History of Rome in which the Roman soldier Marcus Curtius sacrificed himself for the good of the city by plunging, dressed in armor and astride a powerful horse, into the chasm that threatened to destroy Rome. Such stories were the perfect subject for Renaissance collectors who were steeped in antique literature and traditions, while the theme of pious self-sacrifice offered an aspirational model. 

Hat badges often featured complex allegories and symbols that held personal significance for the wearer. Inside the decorative border of Riccio’s plaquette, for instance, is a composition that is densely packed with objects that are recognizable individually—a putto, a satyr, a tree, a snake, a fountain—but together form an allegorical scene that remains to be deciphered. Worn as an adornment, it would have allowed the wearer to demonstrate their education and refinement.

From the 2024 exhibition Living with Sculpture: Presence and Power in Europe, 1400–1750, curated by Elizabeth Rice Mattison, Andrew W. Mellon Curator of Academic Programming and Curator of European Art, and Ashley B. Offill, Curator of Collections

Course History

Anthropology 3.01, Introduction to Anthropology, Charis Ford Morrison Boke 1, Summer 2023

Studio Art 27.01/28.01/74.01, Printmaking I/II/III, Josh Dannin, Summer 2023

History 42.01, Women's Gender, and Sexuality Studies 22.01, Gender & European Society, Patrick Meehan, Spring 2024

History 96.39, Saints and Relics, Cecilia Gaposchkin, Spring 2024

Italian 1.01, Introductory Italian I, Noemi Perego, Spring 2024

Italian 11.01, Intensive Italian, Floriana Ciniglia, Spring 2024

Italian 2.01, Introductory Italian II, Floriana Ciniglia, Spring 2024

Italian 3.01, Introductory Italian III, Tania Convertini, Spring 2024

Italian 3.02, Introductory Italian III, Giorgio Alberti, Spring 2024

Facilitated Experience: Special Tour - From Goya to Photojournalism, Summer 2023

Exhibition History

Living with Sculpture: Presence and Power in Europe, 1400–1750, Citrin Family Gallery and Engles Family Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, March 23, 2024–March 22, 2025.

Recording War: Images of Violence, 1500-1900, Ivan Albright Gallery, Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, May 20-December 9, 2023.

Publication History

Roger Arvid Anderson, The Roger Arvid Anderson Collection, Medals, Medallions, Plaquettes and Small Reliefs, Paintings, Sculpture, Works on Paper and Textiles, San Francisco: Roger Arvid Anderson (published privately), design by David L. Wilson, 2015, p. 142.

Provenance

Acquired by Roger Arvid Anderson, San Francisco, California, date unknown; lent to present collection, 2011; given to present collection, 2016.

Catalogue Raisonne

Kress, Fig. 133, No. 102

This record is part of an active database that includes information from historic documentation that may not have been recently reviewed. Information may be inaccurate or incomplete. We also acknowledge some language and imagery may be offensive, violent, or discriminatory. These records reflect the institution’s history or the views of artists or scholars, past and present. Our collections research is ongoing.

We welcome questions, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. Please contact us at: Hood.Collections@dartmouth.edu

Subjects