Willi pagan devotion, Ccrljara could conceive of 

 the di\ine only in perfectly modeled forms, and he 

 embodied the abstraction in the flowing lines and 

 curves of an essentially human body. The traditional 

 hcas'y folds of the garment were replaced with a 

 soft, veil-like drapery which heightened the ethereal 

 impression created by vaporous masses of clouds. 



His continued preoccupation with \ariations on 

 this theme came to no avail, and regression instead 

 of progress was the result. The exaltation and 

 devotion expressed in his first reverse (fig. 47), where 

 a slight asymmetric displacement of the figure toward 

 the upper edge and the soft radiance of the halo 

 convey di\'ine aloofness, declines eventually into a 

 senseless mannerism, clearly evident in his third version 

 (fig. 49). 



Fig. 48. — P.AP.M. RoMi:. \'..\c.\\T Ske, scudo, 182c), Roman 



mint "■' 



(Photo courtesy .\mcrican Numismatics .Society) 



The same inclination toward mannerism is ex- 

 pressed in his portrait coins of Pope Leo XII. The 

 brilliant effect of many of his refined portraits on 

 his larger coins is based chiefly on sul)tle details 

 that fade on smaller coins because of the limited 

 surface. The delicacy of his portraits, with minute 

 lines vvhicli blend into the softness of the plastic 

 surface to reveal deep psychological insight, is 

 successfully achieved on the large surface of the scudo 

 (fig. 48), but degenerates on the reduced field of the 

 gold coin (fig. 50) into a lifeless image. 



The impression of fragile transparency conveyed by 



some of his works apparently represents only a phase 

 in Cerbara's artistic evolution and seems to be 

 confined to the duration of Leo XII's pontificate. 

 It is possible that the Pope himself, through the deli- 

 cacy of his frame, inspired the artist. A later portrait 

 medal of Pius IX struck in 1851 (fig. 51) shows no 



Fig. 4q. — P.APAL Rome. Leo XII. scudo. iti^j. Roiudiimint"' 

 (Photo courtesy .•\merican Numismatics Society) 



such qualities. Instead, a youthful, robust exuber- 

 ance embodied in a noble but superficially treated 

 relief replaces the transcendental, thoughtful frailty 

 of the earlier portrait. 



Giuseppe, with his >'oung and ardent temperament, 

 tried to break away from the dominating personalities 

 of his predecessors, and the first phase in his activity 

 clearly reveals his tendency to venture into new 



Fig. 50. — P.^PAL Rome, Leo XII, double zecchino or 

 Leonina, 1828, Roman mint "» 

 (Div. of Numismatics photo) 



concepts of content and form. Tlie coin t\pes of 

 Leo XII coincide with this period. Unsure of his 

 new methods and apparently dissatisfied with the 

 results, Giuseppe remodeled some of his compositions 

 again and again. The search for an adequate 

 expression of his artistic ego, however, proved to be 



'" .Spaziani-Tf.sta, / Romani Ponlefici, coin 210; Serafini, 

 pi. 162, coin 7; Davenport, European Crowns, coin 188. 

 '" .Sp.\ziANi-'ri;s[A, / Romani Ponlrfici, coin 205; Serafi.ni, 



pi. 161, coin 17; Dave.nport, European Crowns, coin 186. 

 "' CM, vol. 17, coin 16; Ser.\fini, vol. 3, p. 377, coin 4. 



24 



BULLETIN 229: CO.MRIHL riONS FROM THE ML"SEUM OF HISTORY .A.ND TECHNOLOGY 



