Medal Depicting Joanna of Austria (1547–1578)
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
144122
Art Historical Context
This exquisite medal, crafted by Italian artist Antonio Francesco Selvi in 1739, honors Joanna of Austria (154–1578), a prominent Habsburg princess whose life bridged the courts of Vienna, Madrid, and Transylvania. Daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, married John Sigismundápolya, playing a key role in Central European politics during a turbulent era of religious strife and dynastic alliances. Selvi's work, produced nearly two centuries after her death, reflects the 18th-century fascination with Renaissance nobility, capturing her poised profile in a classical style reminiscent of Baroq...
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...