Medal Depicting Francis III of Lorraine (1708–1765)
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
144192
Art Historical Context
This exquisite medal, crafted by the Italian artist Antonio Francesco Selvi in1739, portrays Francis III of Lorraine (1708–1765), the young duke who would later become Holy Roman Emperor Francis I through his marriage to Maria Theresa of Austria. Selvi, a master medallist active in 18th-century Florence, in finely detailed portrait medals that captured the grandeur of European nobility during the late Baroque era. At just 8.3 cm in diameter, this piece exemplifies the Renaissance revival of medal-making as a portable art form, blending sculpture's intimacy with commemorative power. The medal'...
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...