Medal Depicting Joanna of Austria (1547–1578)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite medal, crafted by Italian artist Antonio Francesco Selvi in 1739, honors Joanna of Austria (154–1578), a prominent Habsburg princess whose life bridged the courts of Vienna, Madrid, and Transylvania. Daughter of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, married John Sigismundápolya, playing a key role in Central European politics during a turbulent era of religious strife and dynastic alliances. Selvi's work, produced nearly two centuries after her death, reflects the 18th-century fascination with Renaissance nobility, capturing her poised profile in a classical style reminiscent of Baroque portrait medals. The medal's innovative medium—lead combined with wax—highlights Selvi's mastery of mixed techniques, blending the durability of metal with wax's luminous, tactile qualities for lifelike depth and realism. Measuring just 8.3 cm in diameter, it exemplifies the Renaissance tradition of small-scale medallic art, prized by collectors for intimate study and display. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Painting and Sculpture of Europe, this piece underscores medals' role as portable history lessons, bridging sculpture and portraiture in European collections. Visitors will appreciate how Selvi's precise modeling evokes Joanna's regal authority, inviting reflection on women's influence in Habsburg history amid the Enlightenment's renewed interest in the past.

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...