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Medal of Anne of Austria (obverse) and (reverse)

Jean Warin (French, 1604–1672)1660

The Cleveland Museum of Art

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Cleveland, United States

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.

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  • Title: Medal of Anne of Austria (obverse) and (reverse)
  • Creator: Jean Warin (French, 1604–1672)
  • Date Created: 1660
  • Physical Dimensions: Diameter: 6 cm (2 3/8 in.)
  • Type: Sculpture
  • Rights: CC0
  • External Link: https://clevelandart.org/art/1987.195
  • Medium: bronze
  • Inscriptions: Obverse: .ANNA.D.G. FR.ET.NAV.REG. Reverse: .DIVA.SE.IACTAT.ALVMNA. .1660.
  • Fun Fact: This medal contains both a traditional portrait as well as a symbolic depiction of another individual.
  • Department: European Painting and Sculpture
  • Culture: France, 17th century
  • Credit Line: John L. Severance Fund
  • Collection: Sculpture
  • Accession Number: 1987.195
The Cleveland Museum of Art

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