Medal Depicting Piccarda Bueri (1368–1433)
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
144050
Art Historical Context
This delicate lead medal with wax, crafted by Italian sculptor Antonio Francesco Selvi in 1739, honors Piccarda Bueri (1368–1433), a prominent Florentine noblewoman and first wife of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. Measuring just 8.3 cm in diameter, it exemplifies the Renaissance-inspired tradition of portrait medals revived in the 18th century. Selvi, a Florentine artist known for his intricate small-scale sculptures, captures Bueri's likeness in profile relief—a classical format evoking ancient Roman coins—highlighting her refined features and noble status during Milan's Visconti era....
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...