Francesco Maria de' Medici, 1660-1711, Cardinal 1686, Duke of Guastalla 1709
after 1709
Medium
lead
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 8.9 cm (3 1/2 in.) gross weight: 114.14 gr (0.252 lb.)
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Lisa and Leonard Baskin
Accession Number
1997.114.38
Art Historical Context
This exquisite lead medallion, crafted by the Italian engraver Antonio Francescovi after 1709, immortalizes Francesco Maria de' Medici (1660–1711), a prominent figure in the illustrious Medici dynasty. Measuring just 8.9 cm in diameter and 114.14 grams, it captures the cardinal—elevated in 1686—and later Duke of Guastalla 1709, during the waning years of Medici influence in Tuscany. Selvi, active in early 18th-century Florence specialized in finely detailed portrait medals that blended Baroque grandeur with intimate portraiture. The choice of lead as a medium is particularly noteworthy, as it...
About the Artist
Antonio Francesco Selvi · 1679–1755
Antonio Francesco Selvi (1679–1753) was a prominent Florentine sculptor and medallist whose exquisite bronze portraits captured the elegance of late Baroque Italy. Little is known of his early life before he arrived in Florence in 1698, but he quickly established himself in the city's vibrant artistic scene by studying under Massimiliano Soldani-Benzi, the renowned bronze-worker, sculptor, medalli...