Bust of Ferdinando II de' Medici (Primary Title)
Unknown , Italian, First Half 17th century (Artist)
The Medici family ruled Tuscany for generations, and literally thousands of portraits of family members were produced to commemorate their reign. Ferdinando II de’ Medici, the son of Grand Duke Cosimo II, is portrayed here in fantasy armor. The artist of this porphyry bust is difficult to determine because only a few such sculptures are signed. However, it may be the work of Raffaelo Curradi (after a design by Orazio Mochi) or Tommaso Fedeli; both artists were active in porphyry sculpture in early 17th-century Florence. Rare and difficult to carve, porphyry stone was prized for its purple color, which was associated with the Roman emperor. It was therefore a most appropriate choice of materials for representing these lofty Medici scions.
Adolph D. and Wilkins C. Williams Fund
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC
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