Christina of Sweden, 1626-1689, Queen 1632-1654 [obverse]

Art Historical Context

This exquisite bronze medal, crafted by Italian medallist Giovanni Martino Hamerani in 1680, immortalizes Christina of Sweden (1626–1689), the extraordinary queen who ruled from 1632 to 1654. Measuring just 3.63 cm in diameter and weighing 21.45 grams, its obverse likely features a portrait of the monarch, capturing her regal poise during her later years in Rome Hamerani, a master of the Roman school of engraving, was renowned for his intricate medals that blended classical portraiture with Baroque flair, making this piece a fine example of 17th-century numismatic art. Queen Christina's life was one of bold reinvention: ascending the throne at age six amid the Thirty Years' War, she championed learning and the arts before abdicating in 1654 to convert to Catholicism and settle in the Eternal City. There, she became a cultural icon, hosting salons with artists, philosophers, and musicians. This medal, produced over two decades after her abdication, reflects her enduring legacy as a Renaissance woman in an absolutist age—scholar, patron, and rebel. As a bronze sculpture in the National Gallery of Art's collection (gift of Lisa and Leonard Baskin), it highlights the medal's role as an intimate, portable canvas for history. Hamerani's precise chasing and patination techniques ensure the queen's features endure, inviting us to ponder her gaze across centuries.

About the Artist

Giovanni Martino Hamerani · 1646–1705

Italian, 1646/9–1705