Medal Depicting Piccarda Bueri (1368–1433)

Art Historical Context

This delicate lead medal with wax, crafted by Italian sculptor Antonio Francesco Selvi in 1739, honors Piccarda Bueri (1368–1433), a prominent Florentine noblewoman and first wife of Gian Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. Measuring just 8.3 cm in diameter, it exemplifies the Renaissance-inspired tradition of portrait medals revived in the 18th century. Selvi, a Florentine artist known for his intricate small-scale sculptures, captures Bueri's likeness in profile relief—a classical format evoking ancient Roman coins—highlighting her refined features and noble status during Milan's Visconti era. Medals like this served as portable commemorations, blending portraiture with historical reverence. Piccarda's life bridged turbulent 14th-century Italy, from her Bueri family roots to her role as mother of Filippo Maria Visconti, linking Florence and Milan politically. Selvi's work, produced over three centuries later, reflects Enlightenment-era fascination with medieval and Renaissance figures, preserving her legacy in a tangible, intimate form. The use of lead, often cast for detailed proofs, paired with wax for a lustrous finish, underscores the medal's experimental medium, distinct from pricier bronzes. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Department of Painting and Sculpture of Europe, it invites visitors to ponder how such small objects immortalize powerful women in history.

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...