Armand-Jean du Plessis, 1585-1642, Cardinal de Richelieu 1622

1630

Jean Warin

Associated Names
Jean Warin

Medalist, Flemish, 1607 - 1672

The sculpture is a profile portrait of a man identified as Armand Jean du Plessis, Cardinal Richelieu. He is depicted wearing clerical attire, including a cap and a cape with intricate folds. The material appears to be a bronze or copper alloy, indicated by its warm color and metallic sheen. The sculpture is in the form of a medal with a circular shape and a raised border with small bead-like embellishments. The relief sculpture shows the man's side profile with detailed facial features such as his beard and hair curls. An inscription surrounds the bust, adding to its historical significance. The sculpture is small in scale and likely intended for close viewing as a medallion or commemorative piece.

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    bronze

  • Credit Line

    Samuel H. Kress Collection

  • Dimensions

    overall (diameter): 7.86 cm (3 1/8 in.)
    gross weight: 128.16 gr (0.283 lb.)
    axis: 12:00

  • Accession Number

    1957.14.10.a

Associated Artworks

The image features a round medallion with a relief sculpture. The scene depicts a chariot being pulled by two horses, guided by a nude figure. An armored figure sits in the chariot wielding a staff or spear. Another nude figure stands behind holding a wreath. Above them, a winged figure is depicted in flight. An inscription, "TANDEM VICTA SEQUOR," is curved along the top edge. The colors of the sculpture resemble aged bronze, with golden-brown hues and lighter highlights. A hole near the top edge suggests it is for display. Inscriptions at the bottom read "I•WARIN" and "1630."

Fortune Chained to a Chariot Carrying Fame and France [reverse]

Jean Warin

1630

Artwork history & notes

Provenance

(Numismatic Fine Arts [Dr. Edward Gans], Berkeley); purchased 1957 by the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, New York; gift 1957 to NGA.

Associated Names

Exhibition History

1994

  • The Currency of Fame: Portrait Medals of the Renaissance, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.; The Frick Collection, New York; National Gallery of Scotland, Edinburgh, 1994-1995, no. 153, repro.

2000

  • Fortune: "All Is But Fortune", The Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington, D.C., 2000, no. 98.

2003

  • Richelieu: Art and Power, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Cologne, 2002-2003, no. 23, repro.

Bibliography

1967

  • Hill, George Francis, and Graham Pollard. Renaissance Medals from the Samuel H. Kress Collection at the National Gallery of Art. London, 1967: no. 575a.

1983

  • Wilson, Carolyn C. Renaissance Small Bronze Sculpture and Associated Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art. Washington, 1983: 211, no. 23.

2007

  • Pollard, John Graham. Renaissance Medals. The Collections of the National Gallery of Art Systematic Catalogue. 2 vols. Washington, 2007: 2:no. 661, repro.

Inscriptions

around circumference: ARMANDVS IOANNES CARDINALIS DE RICHELIEV

Wikidata ID

Q63809764

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