Felix Baciocchi, Prince of Lucca and Piombino
ca. 1809
Medium
Pink wax on glass painted dark blue; frame: moulded gilt plaster
Dimensions
Diameter: 4 1/4 in. (10.8 cm)
Classification
Sculpture-Miniature
Culture
Italian, Florence
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Mary Martin, 1938
Accession Number
38.145.36
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite miniature portrait, *Felix Baciocchi, of Lucca and Piomb*, crafted by Florentine sculptor Giovanni Antonio Sant around 1809, captures the profile of a key figure from the Napoleonic era. Felix Baciocchi, husband of Napoleon's sister Elisa Bonaparte, was elevated to prince during France's expansion across Europe, ruling Lucca and Piombino as satellite state. Santarelli, renowned for his delicate wax medallions, renders Baciocchi in a classical profile view, evoking ancient Roman cameos and emphasizing imperial grandeur. The artwork's medium—pink wax layered on dark blue-painted ...