{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O148180"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O148180/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX9292/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2014GX9292/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2014GX9292","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2014GX9294","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O148180/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O148180","accessionNumber":"525-1864","objectType":"Medal","titles":[{"title":"Cardinal Richelieu","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"This silver medal depicts Armand Jean du Plessis, better known as Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642). Richelieu was immensely powerful both in the Catholic Church (he was a Bishop in 1608 and became a Cardinal in 1622), and in the French Government. In 1624 he was appointed Chief Minister to the King, Louis XIII. This portrait shows him at the peak of his power and is the work of Jean Warin, a painter and sculptor but also the leading medallist of the time in France, then in the very early stages of his successful career. It dates from 1631, a year later than another medal by Warin of Richelieu (museum no. A.376-1910).\r\n\r\nJean Warin (1606-1672) was a French sculptor and painter as well as a medallist. He was born in Liège where his father worked for the mint of its ruler, the Prince Bishop. In 1626 Warin travelled to Paris where his uncle, Guillaume, worked as a wax modeller and his cousin, also called Jean, was a goldsmith. On 12 February 1629, Warin was put in charge of the Monnaie du Moulin, one of the two Mints in Paris, where technology developed in Germany was being used to mechanise the production of coins (rather than having them hammer-struck as was traditional practice). Warin revolutionised the production of coins with a mastery of the machinery available. He ensured that coins were produced which were well made and carefully edged so that they could not be tampered with by having their edges removed without this being noticed.  However, he was accused of forging coins, along with his father and uncle. Of the three, only he escaped execution, thanks to the intervention of Richelieu. It is thought that he produced this medal to help win Richelieu over to his side.  \r\n\r\nWarin was highly influential in the history of the medal. His medals show a clarity of composition based on studies of the Antique, as well as great finesse in their execution. He revolutionised not only the production of medals, but also their function in propagating image and iconography in the service of the state. This is most clearly seen in his most famous production: a series of medals commemorating the triumphs of Louis XIV’s reign; an entire medallic history conceived by the King’s Controller-General of Finances, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, in 1662.  ","physicalDescription":"Medal, silver. Obverse: bust of Cardinal Richelieu, with inscription, signed. Reverse: A Genius directs the revolution of the planets around the world, with inscription and date (1631, between flower stops). ","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Warin, Jean","id":"A6598"},"association":{"text":"medallist","id":"AAT25337"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"silver","id":"AAT11029"}],"techniques":[{"text":"struck","id":"x32575"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Struck silver","categories":[{"text":"Coins & Medals","id":"THES48974"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"},{"text":"Politics","id":"THES48908"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2014GX9292","2014GX9294"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"6","id":"THES49750"},"free":"","case":"CA13","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Medal","id":"AAT46025"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""},{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"France","id":"x28849"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1631","earliest":"1631-01-01","latest":"1631-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"49","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/12/2012","earliest":"2012-12-13","latest":"2012-12-13"},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"2","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"13/12/2012","earliest":"2012-12-13","latest":"2012-12-13"},"part":"at edge","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured by SCP (LS) and FTF (DH) on 13 December 2012 for 1600-1800 Project.\n","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":".ARMANDVS IOAN.CARD.DE RICHELIEV.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"On obverse"},{"content":".I.WARIN","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"signed below bust"},{"content":".MENS SIDERA VOLVIT.","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"His intellect makes the stars revolve","transliteration":"","type":"","note":"on reverse"}],"objectHistory":"Purchased in Paris (Piot sale, 1864, 25-30 April, £4 2s. 6d.).","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Medal, silver, bust of Cardinal Richelieu, by Jean Warin, French, dated 1631","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Inventory of Art Objects acquired in the Year 1864. <font -u>Inventory of the Objects in the Art Division of the Museum at South Kensington, arranged According to the Dates of their Acquisition. Vol. 1.</font> London : Printed by George E. Eyre and William Spottiswoode for H.M.S.O., 1868, p. 45"},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Jones, Mark. <font -u>Catalogue of French Medals in the British Museum, vol. II, 1600-1672.</font> London: British Museum Publications, 1988, pp, 192-196"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"","id":""},{"text":"Plessis, Armand-Jean du (Duke de Richelieu)","id":"N2633"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["525-1864"],"accessionNumberNum":"525","accessionNumberPrefix":"","accessionYear":1864,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE","Obverse","Reverse"],"assets":["2017JU8810","2017KC9214","2019LV3168","2019LW4107"],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-09","recordCreationDate":"2008-03-25","availableToBook":false}}