Giuliano II de' Medici, 1479-1516, Duc de Nemours 1515 [obverse]
1739/1744
![Giuliano II de' Medici, 1479-1516, Duc de Nemours 1515 [obverse] by Antonio Francesco Selvi](https://images.artheonmuseum.org/nga/thumb/giuliano-ii-de-medici-1479-1516-duc-de-nemours-nga-123252.webp)
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 7.73 cm (3 1/16 in.) gross weight: 94.6 gr (0.209 lb.) axis: 12:00
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Lisa Unger Baskin
Accession Number
2001.131.7.a
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze medal, struck by Italian engraver Antonio Francesco Sel between 1739 and 1744, immortalizes Giuliano II de' Medici (1479–1516), a prominent figure of the Renaissance Medici dynasty. The obverse portrays Giuliano, who rose to prominence as a military leader and was granted the French title of Duc de Nemours in 5 by his brother, Pope Leo X. As the youngest son of Lorenzo the Magnificent, Giuliano embodied the family's blend of political savvy, patronage of the arts, and turbulent fortunes amid Italy's power struggles. Crafted with Selvi's masterful intaglio techniques, the...
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...