Medal of Anne of Austria (obverse) and (Cleveland Museum of Art 1987.195)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1660
Jean Warin was the foremost medalist in 17th-century France. As the chief designer of coins, his relationship with King Louis XIII was exceptionally close; he convinced the king that commemorative medals were the most important artistic medium for propaganda.
Warin revolutionized the production of medals by introducing the raised edge, allowing greater ease in striking medals. This change fueled the shift from casting medals to the more recently invented process of striking, or pressing medals from a die. This work is one of many he composed of Queen Anne of Austria (1601–1666). Although she was born in Spain as the Infanta, or princess, of Spain and Portugal, her title "of Austria" refers to her Habsburg heritage as well as her title of Archduchess of Austria.
The reverse depicts a blooming lily, a symbol of France, and is inscribed "it glories in its divine nourishment," referring to her son, the adolescent King Louis XIV. Cleveland Museum of Art object 1987.195: Medal of Anne of Austria (obverse) and (reverse), 1660. Jean Warin (French, 1604–1672). Bronze; diameter: 6 cm (2 3/8 in.). Inscribed: Obverse: .ANNA.D.G. FR.ET.NAV.REG. Reverse: .DIVA.SE.IACTAT.ALVMNA. .1660.. Details are those of this museum object; how far it represents a wider type has not been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 3
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
This medal contains both a traditional portrait as well as a symbolic depiction of another individual.
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- bronze
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 6 cm (2 3/8 in.)
- Measurements
- Diameter: 6 cm (2 3/8 in.)
- Material and technique
- bronze
Design
- Inscription
- Obverse: .ANNA.D.G. FR.ET.NAV.REG. Reverse: .DIVA.SE.IACTAT.ALVMNA. .1660.
Identification
- Date recorded
- 1660
- Culture period
- France
- Maker recorded
- Jean Warin (French, 1604–1672)
- Museum attribution
- Jean Warin (French, 1604–1672)
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 1987.195
- Published references
- George, Philippe. Art et Patrimoine en Wallonie des Origines à 1789: Essai de Synthèse à la Lumière des Collections Américaines et Européennes. Namur: Institut du Patrimoine Wallon, 2017. Reproduced: p. 337, fig. 649
- Museum classification
- Sculpture
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm medallist, edition and restrike status against medallic references.