Medal Depicting Margherita de' Medici (1612–1662)
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
144170
Art Historical Context
This exquisite medal, crafted by the Italian engraver and medallist Antonio Francesco Selvi in 1739, honors Margherita de' Medici (1612–1662), a prominent member of the illustrious Medici family of Florence. Margherita, daughter of Grand Duke Cosimo II, married Odoardo Farnese, becoming Duchess of Parma and Piacenza. Created over seven decades after her death, the piece likely serves as a posthumous tribute, reflecting the enduring prestige of the Medici dynasty during the height of Baroque portraiture. Selvi, renowned for his intricate bronze and precious metal medals, here employs an unusua...
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...