{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O313694"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O313694/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NR4083/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2023NR4083/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2023NR4083","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2023NR4084","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KN5657","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KN5695","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O313694/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O313694","accessionNumber":"A.9-1959","objectType":"Medal","titles":[{"title":"Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany","type":"generic title"}],"summaryDescription":"The medal depicts Gian Gastone de’ Medici in profile to the right, dressed in parade armour decorated on the chest with a mascherone. It was commissioned to Giovan Francesco Pieri to celebrate the sitter's elevation to the Tuscan throne in 1723, following the death of his father Cosimo III. The reverse in fact shows Gian Gastone, standing on the left and dressed all’antica, about to receive sceptre and crown by the allegorical figure of Tuscany, an elegant kneeling female accompanied by the lion crouched at her side.  \n\r\nOriginally from Prato and already initiated into the arts, Giovan Francesco Pieri (1699-1733) entered the studio of the Florentine sculptor Giovacchino Fortini around 1714 to perfect his drawing skills. Although he soon achieved artistic autonomy, he remained in the master's workshop until 1736, probably as a collaborator (Plasmato dal fuoco 2019, p. 596). Pieri was a celebrated wax modeller but also devoted himself to the art of medals. His medals show us very clearly how close his modus operandi was to that of his master Fortini. The portrait of the Gran Duke Gian Gastone in the present medal shows the artist's intention to investigate the features of the duke without idealization, as shown by the effigy's hooked nose and the protrusion of the lower lip, and to capture the character's psychology (Plasmato dal fuoco 2019, p. 369). The curls of the wig are carefully outlined, but in the reverse the features of the faces become more compendious, and the drapery becomes wavy, in contrast to the smooth background. All these elements show Pieri's evident debt to Fortini's teachings.\r\n","physicalDescription":"Medal, bronze.\r\n\r\nObverse: Gian Gastone de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, portrayed in profile, to the right, with a voluminous wig with long ringlets. He wears an armour decorated on the chest area with a mascherone and crossed by an ermine-lined cloak. Inscription along the rim. The medal is dated ‘1723’ in the truncation of the arm. \r\n\r\nReverse: On the right, a kneeling female figure representing Tuscany is offering the Grand Duke, standing on the left, a scepter and crown. In the center, crouching beside the personification of Tuscany, the lion, symbol of power but also of Florence. Motto along the rim. The medal is signed ‘F.PIERI.F.’.\r\n","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Pieri, Giovan Francesco","id":"AUTH396396"},"association":{"text":"artist","id":"AAT25103"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"bronze","id":"AAT10957"}],"techniques":[{"text":"cast","id":"x32615"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Bronze","categories":[{"text":"Coins & Medals","id":"THES48974"},{"text":"Royalty","id":"THES48899"},{"text":"Sculpture","id":"THES48896"},{"text":"Medallions","id":"THES49034"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"SCP","id":"THES48600"},"images":["2023NR4083","2023NR4084","2018KN5657","2018KN5695"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"040","id":"THES395785"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Medal","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Florence","id":"x28848"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1723","earliest":"1723-01-01","latest":"1723-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"8.1","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[{"content":"Obverse: 'JO . GASTO . D . G . M . DVX . ETRVRIAE . VII .'","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""},{"content":"Reverse: 'CRESCAM . LAVDE . RECENS .'; ‘F.PIERI.F.’","inscriber":{"name":{"text":"","id":""},"association":{"text":"","id":""}},"date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"description":"","interpretation":"","language":"","medium":"","method":"","position":"","script":"","translation":"","transliteration":"","type":"","note":""}],"objectHistory":"Bought.","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Medal, portrait medal of Gian Gastone de’ Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany, cast in bronze, by Giovan Francesco Pieri, Florence, 1723.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Schmidt, Eike, Bellesi, Sandro, and Gennaioli, Riccardo, eds., <i>Plasmato dal fuoco. La scultura in bronzo nella Firenze degli ultimi Medici</i>, (exh. cat. Florence, Gallerie degli Uffizi, Palazzo Pitti - Tesoro dei Granduchi, 18 September 2019-12 January 2020), Sillabe, Livorno 2019, pp. 360-361, cat. 92, entry by Marco Betti (another example of this medal); pp. 596-598 (biography of the artist by Marco Betti). "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Vannel,Fiorenza, and Toderi, Giuseppe. <i>Medaglie italiane del Museo Nazionale del Bargello</i>, 4 voll., Florence: Edizioni Polistampa, 2003-2007, vol. III, p. 40, nos. 254-255 (other examples of this medal)."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Fileti Mazza, Miriam, and Gaeta Bertelà, Giovanna, eds. <i>Collezione Chigi Saracini nel Palazzo di Siena: inventario generale</i>, 2 vols., Siena: Palazzo Chigi Saracini, 2005-2006, vol. I, 2005, p. 631, no. 2255, figs. 2255d and 2255r, entry by Fiorenza Vannel Toderi (another example of this medal). "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Börner, Lore, <i>Die italienischen Medaillen der Renaissance und des Barock (1450-1750)</i>, Berlin: Gebr. Mann Verlag, 1997, p. 315, no. 1546 (anothe example of this medal)."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Johnson, Cesare, <i>Collezione Johnson di medaglie</i>, 3 vols., Milano 1990, vol. II, p. 596, no. 429 (another example of this medal). "},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Vannel, Fiorenza, and Toderi, Giuseppe.<i> La Medaglia barocca in Toscana</i>, Studio per Edizioni Scelte, Firenze 1987, p. 136, no. 117 (another example of this medal)."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Langedijk, Karla. <i>The portraits of the Medici, 15th-18th Centuries</i>, 3 vols., Florence: Studio per Edizioni Scelte, 1981-87, II, 1983, pp. 973-974, no. 34 (another example of this medal)."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Johnson, Velia. “La Medaglia barocca in Toscana”, in <i>Medaglia</i>, anno V, n. 10, 1975, p. 19 fig. 12, p. 61 (another example of this medal). "}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"de' Medici, Gian Gastone","id":"N15833"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"bust","id":"AAT47457"},{"text":"lion","id":"x30150"},{"text":"female figure","id":"x43298"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["A.9-1959"],"accessionNumberNum":"9","accessionNumberPrefix":"A","accessionYear":1959,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-04-11","recordCreationDate":"2009-06-24","availableToBook":true}}