Two French Medals by Guillaume Dupré - Maffeo Barberini & Marie de' Medici

Iosephus

Cardinal Maffeo Barberini

by Guillaume Dupré, 1612


Bronze, 92 mm Ø, 45 g

Obverse: Bust of Maffeo Barberini facing right, wearing a biretta and hooded cassock. Within two inscribed circles, MAPH · S · R · E · P · CAR · BARBERIN · SIG · IVST · PRÆ · BONO · LEG (Maffeo, Priest of the Holy Roman Church, Cardinal Barberini, Chancellor and Legate of Bologna). Beneath the truncation, G DVPRE · F 1612 .

Maffeo Barberini was born in April of 1568 in Florence, but was raised by his uncle in Rome after his father's death. He was educated by the Jesuits and studied law at the University of Pisa. In 1601, Pope Clement VIII appointed him as papal legate to the court of Henry IV in France in order to present congratulations on the birth of the dauphin. He was appointed as Archbishop of Nazareth in 1604 and was sent as nuncio to Paris. Pope Paul V elevated him to the cardinalate on September 11, 1606. He was further appointed as papal legate to Bologna in August of 1611. This portrait medal was executed while Dupré was traveling through Italy, with Bologna being on the path of Dupré's journey from Venice to Florence. On August 6, 1623, Barberini was elected pope and took the name of Urban VIII.

An exquisite thin cast with exceptional detail, this example is likely an original cast.

Reference: Jones 40




Marie de' Medici

by Guillaume Dupré, 1624


Gilt Bronze, 104 mm Ø, 137 g

Obverse: Bust of Marie de' Medici facing right, wearing a widow's cap, a string of pearls, and a dress with open standing collar at the front of which hangs a cross. Around, in retrograde, MARIA AVGVSTA GALLIÆ ET NAVARÆ REGINA (Maria Augusta, Queen of France and Navarre). Beneath the truncation, G DVPRE F 1624 .

Marie de' Medici was born on April 26, 1575, in Florence to Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. In October of 1600, she married Henry IV of France, and was crowned Queen of France on May 13, 1610, one day before her husband's assassination. Although her son, Louis XIII, come of age on his thirteenth birthday in 1614, thus ending the regency of Marie, she still remained the de facto ruler of France until Louis exiled her in 1617. In 1621, with assistance her confidant and adviser, Cardinal Richelieu, Marie and Louis reconciled. Richelieu himself was appointed to the royal council of ministers on April 29, 1624. Jones has suggested that the inscription, which is legible only in a mirror, is intended to suggest that Marie's titles are merely reflections of the glory of her son. Several medals of Marie were produced by Dupré during her widowhood, and the pearl necklace she is shown wearing was a wedding present from Henry IV.

From the collection of Dr. Günther Brockmann.

Reference: Jones 59

JCMhouston

Very cool.

STLNATS

Very interesting material you've been showing lately Joe. The retrograde legend on the Marie de' Medici is especially intriguing.

Congrats!

Zohar

Very very nice!

theboz11

Those appear to be "galvanos". An electrolysis process that came much later than those original medals. One one taken from the die, the other from a struck medal. I have about a dozen of these from different medals. I will have to get around to taking pictures of them someday. I am no doubt wrong, but they look that way, the thin nature and rough surface on the reverse is the same as those I have, albeit mine are a bit thicker and rougher on the reverse from longer galvanic action.

Those are some beauties.

Iosephus

They both appear to be casts, not galvanos. Dupré cast all of his medals (none were struck), and the appearance of the reverse is normal for these (the same sort of incuse views are present in the cast specimens of the British Museum). And, as you mentioned, the galvanos I've seen (when not joined) all tend to have much rougher reverses The retrograde inscription on the Marie de' Medici piece is part of the design, not because this is a copy of a die, and all known examples have that feature. Not to mention, there were no "dies" for these (way too large to be struck).

theboz11

I see, Thanks, Those are very nice pieces.