Antonio di Puccio Pisano, known as Pisanello, was considered the ‘inventor’ of the modern medal. Taking coins from Antiquity as a point of reference, Pisanello created a model that honoured the person represented, through their portrait, symbols or allegories evoking their personality and lineage, or even inscriptions. On this medal, Pisanello depicts Gianfrancesco I Gonzaga, 1st Marquis of Mantua. On the reverse, the marquis appears as a military leader, accompanied by his page. Also included is his emblem, a door knocker in the shape of a flower.

According to experts, the date of this medal is uncertain, with estimates varying between c. 1439–40 and after 1444. Eleanora Luciano (2011) highlights a more current theory, namely that this medal was part of a series of commissions from Gianfrancesco’s successor, Ludovico III Gonzaga, in honour of his family. This included two more medals by Pisanello, one depicting Ludovico and the other, dated 1447, depicting his sister Cecilia.