mentioned the niednl coniniemorniiny the Mari.m 

 Venr ( I'i.S4),'""* the 43l)th nnni\cis.n-v nf tlie Swiss 

 guards,^"'-' and the opening ol' ilir Workrs I'air in 

 Brussels.^"' 



The vakie of these medals rests chielK- in the euin- 

 positiun of tlie reverse, tiie portrait of the puntiH On 



Fig. I '29. — Vatican, obverse nf iind.ii nf ( laiiliii.il Hisleti '" 



(Phnio IV,, 111 /A) 



the cili\crs<- lii-ing transinittrd um hanged or onlv 

 sliglitly altered from year to year. On the personal 

 medals, however, the likeness of the commemorated 

 personality deserves special attention. 



Mistrnzzi proved to be a good portraitist although 

 many of his creations do not achie\'e the highest 

 C]nalitv. Hisan.ihtic interpretation of hi in 1,1 n |)hNsiog- 

 nomv, liis unobtrusive suggestions of inlelleetual and 

 emotional C)ualities, and his subtK modeled planes 

 all blend in creating a clean-cut, acadeinii purliail. 

 Among his better portraits should be considered the 

 busts of Popes Pius XI and Pius XII. The latt(-r, 

 studied minutely in the complexit\' of iiis person- 

 ality and interpreted by the artist in many changed 

 versions, emerged in a "speaking" likeness. The 

 portrait of Gaetano C^ardinal Bisleti dig. 12')), created 

 by Mistruzzi in younger years (rJ24), betrays the 

 artist's great admiration for the Renaissance, as can 



be seen Ijy comparing it to a med.il created alxjut 

 14SI1 by Xiccolo kiorentino (lii,'. ki(l). .\Iislru//i 

 turned to this jieriod lor inspiration as Roni.iunoli 

 turned to classical antifiuil\ lor his esthetic sources. 

 Lnified in conception. sulitl<' in su!.;geslion, sensitive 

 in execution. Mislru//i's portr.iil eNcmiililied the 

 rewarding results obtained by a deep understaiidiii'^ 

 and assimilation of the esthetic eoneepi of an eailii'i- 

 pericjd. i'lie portrait nicd.iU nf .\I.ii(|iiis (l.iniiilo 



Fig. I'V- — OF!\'ri.:si'. Ill Mi uAi m .\ni iiiiisin ip Kinaido 



Orslm 111 l-'liirriicc li\' .\i(iiil(i I' iiJM-nlinc), .ihiiiK i|!ici"-' 



(I'lioln lr,,lll llill) 



Serafini, Francis C'.nilinal Spillin.ni, ' ' .Muiisigiiur 

 Giulio Montini,-'" or Gclso ('..irtlinal ( loslantini'"' 

 are a few examples of the ure.it number of medals 

 engraved by Mistru/zi dnrini; the p.ist two decides. 

 .\ large number of these nifd.iU was work done in 

 addition to his duties ,it tlie Wilii.iii, medals which 

 were made for the It.ili.ni and hirei^n ^uvrrnments 

 as well as kjr pri\ate persons. ,\ survey ol olliei.il 

 Italian medals would be ineom|)leIi- without men- 

 tioning the works of Mislru//i, and his name in lact 

 frec|uently appears in the nii-d.i! lisiings ol the il.ili.in 

 (iovernment.'"" In each t;roiip of |)remium, w.u', 

 ])oi trait, and comniemoi.ilixe nied.ils, ,1 lew composi- 

 tions of Mistruz/i testily to his unbounded inventi\'e- 

 ncss. Interestingly, the Mistru//i on<- encounters 

 here dilfers i;i<'.itl\ fidui the .\Iislru//i one meets in 

 the \'.ilican coinage, revi-.iling .in unexpected l.icet 

 of his per.sonalit) . 'i he ae.idemie. subdued, some- 



3"- "Mcdai;lia pontifu ia deiraniin .\I.ui.mo" /.\ (l'J55), 

 no. 9. 

 3"'' Pul)lislicd in /.\ (l')S6), no. 6. 

 310 Published in /.\' (I'lSS), no. 5. 

 3" R.S., A'lmiR (19.^7), no. .1, p. 53. 



PAPER 33: IT.ALI.AN COIN ENGR.AVF.RS SINC;F, ISdO 



31-' Hni., Iltili'iii MiJ,:l\ "I Ihr /{nuii'uim;: pi. 1 5 J, laed.il 937. 

 313 Published in AV (19M1), nos. 11 12. 

 311 Published in AV (19.SS), no. 10. 

 315 Published in A\ (193"), no. 1. 

 31" A'.~ ijp- K'l 112. 



.^7 



