Francis I
18th century
Medium
Gilt bronze
Dimensions
Diameter (without pendant band): 45 mm
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
German
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Gwynne M. Andrews, 1931
Accession Number
31.33.225
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite gilt bronze medal, titled *Francis I* and crafted by German artist Georg Wilhelm Vestner in the18th century, captures refined profile portrait of the Holy Roman Emperor Francis I (1708–1765). just 45 mm in diameter, exemplifies the intimate scale of medals and plaquettes, small sculptural reliefs prized in European courts for their portability and prestige. Vestner, a medalist working in the Baroque tradition, renders the emperor's dignified visage with precise engraving, highlighting his noble features against a detailed background—perfect for wearing as a pendant, as suggested...
About the Artist
Georg Wilhelm Vestner · 1677–1740
German, Schweinfurth 1677–1740 Nuremberg