- Museum number
- M.2954
- Description
-
Cast silver medal with an incuse reverse, pierced. (whole)
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Bust of Francesco de Medici, right, in armour. (obverse)
- Production date
- 1613
- Dimensions
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Diameter: 92.500 millimetres
- $Inscriptions
-
-
- Curator's comments
- Jones 2
The D in the legend may stand for Divus (God).
The sitter, incorrectly identified both by the Trésor (see 3) and Mazerolle (see 6) as the fourth son of Cosimo II and Maria Magdalena of Austria, who died before Ratisbon in 1634, is in fact the son of Ferdinando and brother of Cosimo II.
Following the death of Francesco IV Gonzaga in December 1612 (see registration no. M.2149) the Duchy of Mantua passed to his brother Cardinal Ferdinando Gonzaga. Charles Emmanuel, Duke of Savoy, however, claimed Monteferrat for his granddaughter (Francesco IV's daughter Maria) and occupied it in April 1613. Both France and Tuscany protested and Francesco de' Medici was put in command of the Tuscan forces sent to aid the Mantuans. His military appearance on this medal presumably reflects this command and his plans for a military career abroad, plans which were cut short by his death on 17 May 1614 in Pisa.
The frontispiece of Alessandro Adimari's eulogy of the Prince, an engraving by Jacques Callot (fig. 28), a French engraver working in Florence, is taken from Dupré's medal.
Other examples:
(a) Cabinet des Médailles, Bibliothèque Nationale, 58 rue de Richelieu, 75084 Paris, France (BN, Paris), Sér. It. Rois, Princes, Ducs, Mod. III no. 30, silver, 93 mm.
(b) BN, Paris, Sér. It. Rois, Princes, Ducs, Mod. III no. 31, bronze, pierced, 100 mm (87 mm without frame).
(c) BN, Paris, Sér. It. Rois. Princes, Ducs, Mod. III no. 32, bronze, pierced, 94 mm (88 without rim).
(d) Musée du Louvre, Paris 1e, France, OA 53298, lead, twice pierced, 102 mm (90 mm excluding frame and rim).
(e) Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine 04011, USA, Molinari 246, bronze, 93 mm.
(f) Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan, 82.2, bronze, 95.3 mm.
(g) Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence, Italy (Bargello), inv. no. 7347, gilt bronze, 95.1 mm, 109 gm, 1.6-6.0 mm thick.
(h) Bargello, inv. no. 10264, silvered bronze, 94.4 mm, 129 gm, 1.9-6.6 mm thick.
(i) Bargello, gilt bronze, 88.9 mm, 183.5 gm, 1.3-5.9 mm thick. With contemporary frame, 111.1mm.
(j) Civiche Raccolte Numismatiche, Milan, Italy (Milan), Brera, bronze, 96 mm. Incuse reverse.
(k) Milan, Brera, bronze, 96 mm. Incuse reverse.
(1) Sammlung von Medaillen, Münzen und Geldzeichen, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.
(m) Ashmolean Museum, Oxford, bronze 94 (88) mm. Pierced, incuse reverse.
(n) Ashmolean, coloured wax model.
Bibliography:
1. Alexandro Adimari Essequie dell illmo et eccmo principe Don Francesco Medici celebrate dal sermo Don Cosimo II Florence 1614.
2. Museum Mazzuchellianum I pl. 89 no. 4.
3. Riguccio Galuzzi Storia del Granducato di Toscana 1922 vol. 6 ch. 3.
4. T.N. Méd. Fr. II pl. 11 no. 1.
5. Edouard Meaume Jacques Callot Paris 1860, p. 200 no. 429.
6. Kenner 1891 p. 129 no. 69 pl. 13, 7.
7. Brescia I p. 112 no. 790.
8. Supino no. 849.
9. Mazerolle II, no. 673.
10. G. Migeon Catalogue des bronzes au Louvre no. 595.
11. V. Johnson Medaglia X pp. 14, 15.
12. Molinari no. 246.
13. C. Langedijk Portraits of the Medici II p. 927, no. 15.
14. Pollard Bargello no. 478.
15. Il Seicento Fiorentino no. 4.19.
- Location
- Not on display
- Department
- Coins and Medals
- Registration number
- M.2954
- C&M catalogue number
-
MF2 (Jones 2) (85) (43)
