Medal Depicting Filippo de' Medici (died 1474)
Medium
Lead with wax
Dimensions
Diam.: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 in.)
Classification
medal
Department
Painting and Sculpture of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
144067
Art Historical Context
This exquisite medal, crafted by the Italian engraver Antonio Francescovi in 1739, portrays Filippo de' Medici (2–1474), a figure from the illustrious Medici family of Renaissance Florence. Filippo, who served as Archbishop of Pisa pursued a clerical career amid the family's political dominance, is depicted in profile, embodying the classical portrait tradition revived during the Renaissance. Selvi, a master medalist from Siena active in the 18th century, created this piece over two centuries after Filippo's death, likely as a commemorative tribute to the enduring Medici legacy during a reviva...
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...