Medallio

Art Historical Context

Jean-Baptiste Nini’s “Medallio created between 1776 and 1800, offers a charming glimpse into late-eighteenth-century portrait traditions. This small ceramic medallion, just 4 7/8 inches across, presents men in profile, a format prized for its clarity and elegance. Nini, an Italian-born artist active in France, excelled at capturing distinctive silhouettes in relief, turning everyday materials into lasting personal tributes. The choice of ceramic was both practical and artistic. Unlike metal medals, ceramic allowed for fine detail at modest cost while remaining durable enough to be handled or displayed. Such medallions often circulated as tokens of friendship or admiration during a period of political and social change on both sides of the Atlantic. Now part of the Metropolitan Museum’s American Wing, this piece entered the collection as a gift from William H. Huntington in 1883. Its simple yet refined profiles continue to invite viewers to consider how small objects once helped preserve individual likenesses and connections across time.

About the Artist

Jean-Baptiste Nini · 1717–1786

Jean-Baptiste Nini, born Giovanni Battista Nini in Urbino, Italy, in March 1717, emerged as a versatile sculptor and medallist whose career bridged the vibrant artistic scenes of Italy, Spain, and France. The son of a modest painter, Nini received his initial training from his father in the rudiments of engraving. He honed these skills in Bologna, where he simultaneously studied sculpture at the A...