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Auction: 390 - Renaissance Plaquettes and Commemorative Medals featuring the Neil A. Goodman Collection - e-Auction
Lot: 168

QUENTIN MATSYS [QUINTIN MASSYS] (Flemish, 1466-1530)
William Schevez (Scheves), second Archbishop of St. Andrews, Scotland 1478 (died 1497). Medal, Louvain 1491. On the Establishment of his Primacy over Glasgow. Bronze, 80mm. WILHELMVS+SCHEVE3 SCI+ADREE+ARCHIEPS, Capped bust left wearing ecclesiastical gown, rev. +LEGATVS*NATVS*&*TOTTIVS REGNI*SCOTTIE*PRIMAS*1491+, Scheves Arms over crozier. Pollard 768; Larry Silver 244.

William Scheves parentage is obscure, but he was likely the illegitimate son of a royal clerk, John Scheves. He apparently spent time on the continent and studied medicine at the University of Louvain. He practiced as a physician in Scotland and came to the king's attention as a court physician. He also served as clericus regiae (Royal cleric) and Master of the Hospital at Brechin, then spent several years as an administrator of the University of St. Andrews. In 1477, he became Archdeacon of St. Andrews and coadjutor and vicar-general of the archdiocese. He succeeded to the archbishopric a year later after the deposition of Archbishop Patrick Graham. Scheves, though, grew unpopular with the nobles as he was seen as one of "the low-born favourites" who allegedly dominated James III. Clearly Scheves did have much influence with the king until 1482, but after the coup at Lauder Bridge he fell into temporary disgrace. When the king regained power in 1483, he was restored to favor, although without the same level of influence.

The medal is larger than the other recorded specimens. The example in the National Museum of Scotland is 79mm and the British Museum specimen measures 77mm. Pollard notes that the 72mm silver specimen in the National Gallery is "probably an electrotype taken from a worn specimen" (the whereabouts of this "worn specimen" unknown). The medal was likely made during the sitters last trip to the continent in the spring of 1491. Although Hill raises questions about the medal's authorship by Massys due to the dissimilarity with the medal of Erasmus of Rotterdam ("Medals of the Renaissance", 1920, pp 123-125), Pollard says that it is reasonably attributed by Larry Silver in "The Paintings of Quintin Massys with Catalogue Raisonne", Oxford, 1984. Neatly holed at 12:00. A Very Fine contemporary cast. Extremely Rare. Ex. Auktionen Münzhandlung 'Sunday Sale' 22 (Stuttgart), November 30 - December 1, 2015, lot 358 - 16,000 Euros.
From the Neil A. Goodman Collection

Sold for
$24,000

Starting price
$22000