Medal of Queen Mary Tudor as Wife of King Philip II

Description In 1555, Jacopo da Trezzo moved to the Southern Netherlands to enter the service of Philip II of Spain (reigned 1556-1598). There, he cast medals of Philip and also of Mary Tudor, queen of England, to commemorate their wedding in 1554. The crisp modeling lends Mary's features alertness and dignity. The inscription on the medal celebrates her as "defender of the faith" for her support of Catholicism in England.

Exhibitions

• Touch and the Enjoyment of Sculpture: Exploring the Appeal of Renaissance Statuettes. The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore. 2012.

Provenance Douglas H. Gordon, Baltimore; Walters Art Museum, 1942, by gift.

Credit Gift of Douglas H. Gordon, 1942