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Portrait of Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
(Baroque Europe )
Cosimo III de' Medici (1642-1723) ruled Tuscany for more than 50 years. Although his reign was an economic disaster, he was a great collector and patron of the arts, initiating a new golden age of sculpture in Florence. The duke was not attractive, but Soldani created a dignified portrait, combining a lively expression and splendid armor, engraved with the cross of the military order of St. Stephen of which he was Grand Master.
The naturalism and vigor Soldani imparts to his works mark him as the last in the great tradition of Florentine bronze sculptors that began in the 15th century.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object.
Henry Walters, Baltimore, 1931 [mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Exhibitions
| 2006 | Arte e Manifattura di corte a Firenze dal tramonto dei Medici all'Impero (1732-1815). Il Polo Museale Fiorentino, Firenze. |
| 1984-1985 | Baroque Portraiture in Italy. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. |
Geographies
Italy, Florence (Place of Origin)
Measurements
21 3/4 x 12 in. (55.3 x 30.5 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters, 1931
Location in Museum
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
54.1744