Medal — Portrait medal of Francesco Redi, Florence, 1684-1685
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1684-1685
Medal in the Victoria and Albert Museum, London (museum number A.30-1977), made in Florence, dated 1684-1685, attributed to Soldani Benzi, Massimiliano. The museum's brief description reads: Medal, of Francesco Redi, cast in bronze, by Massimiliano Soldani Benzi, Florence, 1684-85.
Museum description: Obverse: Profile portrait bust of Francesco Redi to right, with flowing long hair or wig. The sitter wears a shirt with fine decoration, partially visible under the draped cloak. The medal is inscribed around the border. It also bears the signature of the artist and the date: 'M.SOLD.1684'. Reverse: Three figures emerge against a rocky background. On the left, a seated woman, cloaked in flowing robes, with her head covered by a veil and her left foot on the globe, is recognisable as the allegory of Eternity.
She is caught in the act of offering a laurel to Minerva, standing on the right. Her left hand is outstretched to indicate the front of a temple, with an architrave surmounted by a snake biting its tail, symbolising eternity, and characterised by the presence of the inscription 'AETERNITATI' in the cornice. The goddess, depicted with helmet, staff and shield resting at her feet, lands, and crushes with her knee the allegorical figure of Time, represented as a naked, bearded man… The museum records it as Cast in bronze, measuring Diameter 8.79 cm.
These details come from the museum's own record; how far this object represents a wider collectible type has not yet been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- 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
The sitter Francesco Redi (1626-1697) in addition to being Chief Physician to the Medici Grand-Dukes Ferdinando II and Cosimo III and a zoologist, was an acclaimed man of letters, widely renowned as a poet and philosopher. The plethora of his talents was reflected in several medals executed by Massimiliano Soldani Benzi. The sculptor first cast a portrait medal of Redi in 1677 (commissioned by the scholar himself), when he still had to complete his training. Having become an expert medallist, in 1684-1685 he was commissioned by Cosimo III to execute three more medals of Redi, all featuring the same portrait on the obverse, but with different reverses, alluding to his three main talents, to the activities in which he excelled, from poetry to medicine. With an interesting iconographic and compositive solution, the V&A medal's reverse alludes to Redi's inclinations as a philosopher. Three figures emerge from a bustling rocky landscape, which forms the background of the entire scene. On the le left, the allegorical figure of the Eternity is depicted with the attribute of the globe, placed under her foot, and dressed in robes characterised by flowing, dense draperies, which together with the rocky background contribute to give movement to the scene. With her left hand she points to two columns with an architrave, recognisable perhaps as the font of the Eternity temple by both the inscription ‘AETERNITATI’ (‘Eternity’) in the cornice of the architrave and the presence of the…
Physical characteristics
- Material
- bronze
- Dimensions
- Diameter 8.79 cm
Technical characteristics
- Technique
- Cast in bronze
- Maker recorded
- Soldani Benzi, Massimiliano
- Place recorded
- Florence
Design
- Inscriptions recorded
- Obverse: 'FRANCISCVS.REDI.PATRITIVS.ARETINVS' (around the rim); 'M.SOLD.1684' (on the bottom left, below the bust).; Reverse: 'AETERNITATI' (on the cornice of the lintel front); 'AERE.PEREMNIVS' (to the right, along the rim); 'M.S.F.1685' (at the bottom).
Identification
- Museum object name
- Medal
- Museum object number
- A.30-1977
- Museum system number
- O312273
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: confirm the wider type, maker and catalogue references against a specialist reference.