Christine of France, Duchess of Savoy (1608–63)
1635
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
Diam. 2 1/2 in. (64 mm.)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Ogden Mills, 1925
Accession Number
25.142.60
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze medal, crafted by Guillaume Dupré in 1635, portrays Christine of France (1608–1663), Duchess of Savoy, in a finely detailed profile view. Measuring just 2½ inches (64 mm) in diameter it exemplifies the intimate scale of 17th-century French medals and plaquettes—small, collectible sculptures prized by nobility and scholars alike. Dupré, the esteemed royal medallist working in Paris, was renowned for his precise renditions of royal likenesses, capturing Christine's noble bearing with classical elegance. Christine, daughter of King Henry IV of France and sister to Louis XII...
About the Artist
Guillaume Dupré · 1579–1640
**Guillaume Dupré (1579–1640)** Guillaume Dupré, born in Sissonne near Laon, emerged as one of France's premier sculptors and medallists during the transition from Renaissance to Baroque art. He studied under the renowned sculptor Barthélemy Prieur, marrying Prieur's daughter Madeleine in 1600 and later fathering Abraham Dupré, who followed in his footsteps as a medallist. His early talent caught...