Medal Depicting Giovanni Carlo de' Medici (1611–1663)

Art Historical Context

This striking lead medal, created in 1739 by Florentine medallist Antonio Francesco Selvi, portrays Giovanni Carlo de’ Medici nearly eight decades after the cardinal’s death. As a younger son of Grand Duke Cosimo II, Giovanni Carlo was a passionate collector whose famed library and picture gallery enriched Florence’s cultural heritage. Selvi’s posthumous tribute reflects the enduring prestige of the Medici name even as the grand-ducal line neared its end. Measuring just over three inches across, the work combines cast lead with delicate wax modeling, a technique that allowed Selvi to achieve subtle surface textures and crisp lettering. Such medals were prized not only as portable portraits but also as lasting records of illustrious figures, circulating among scholars and collectors across Europe. Today in the Art Institute of Chicago, the piece offers visitors a tangible link to both the Medici legacy and the refined art of eighteenth-century medallic sculpture.

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...