Medal Depicting Filippo de' Medici (died 1474)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite medal, crafted by the Italian engraver Antonio Francescovi in 1739, portrays Filippo de' Medici (2–1474), a figure from the illustrious Medici family of Renaissance Florence. Filippo, who served as Archbishop of Pisa pursued a clerical career amid the family's political dominance, is depicted in profile, embodying the classical portrait tradition revived during the Renaissance. Selvi, a master medalist from Siena active in the 18th century, created this piece over two centuries after Filippo's death, likely as a commemorative tribute to the enduring Medici legacy during a revival of interest in their history. Medals like this one were prized Renaissance inventions—small-scale sculptures functioning as portable art, seals, or diplomatic gifts—blending portraiture with symbolic reverses (though not specified here). Selvi's work reflects the Baroque-era refinement of this genre, with finely chased details capturing Filippo's dignified features. The unusual medium of lead coated in wax suggests a rare trial piece or intimate study, allowing for detailed modeling without the permanence of bronze; its modest 8.3 cm diameter made it ideal for private collections. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of European Painting and Sculpture, this medal bridges Renaissance humanism and 18th-century antiquarianism, offering visitors a tangible link to Medici patronage that fueled art's golden age in Italy.

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...