Alexander Schwarz

Bronze, cast, 68.9 mm Ø, 85.2 g
By Hans Schwarz, 1518.
Obverse:  Bust of Alexander Schwarz facing left, wearing hat and cloak; incuse monogram (?) on truncation. Around, ALEXANDRI · SVVARTZ · AVGVSTANI · ÆT · ANN · XL (Alexander Schwarz of Augsburg, Aged 40 Years).

Habich identifies Alexander Schwarz (1478 - c. 1532) as a relative of the medalist, and possibly the same Alexander present in a Schwarz family portrait by Hans Holbein the Elder. An Alexander Schwarz identified as a builder is noted to have been in Augsburg in 1509, in Nuremberg ten years later, to have received permission from the Augsburg Council to live outside the city ten years after that, and to have received honors in 1538 for his works. However, Habich also notes that a record from 1532 indicates that Schwarz had died; he suggests in this case that the builder of the same name was likely his son.

There have been different interpretations as to the "monogram" on the truncation of the bust, with it variously being seen as GJ or VC. Early theories were that it was the signature of the artist, though the existence of the portrait sketch by Hans Schwarz for this medal confirms the attribution to him. Habich posited the signature as that of a later copyist; however, Kastenholtz notes that in the examples containing this mark, there is nothing artistic or stylistic of them being copies of an original. Rather, he suggests that, since the mark is unclear, it may simply be a mark on the model which was then reproduced on the medals made from it.

Provenance:

Morton & Eden 87, 15 June 2017, lot 233.

References:

Habich 1929-34, no. 124

Kastenholz 2006, no. 25