HOLY ROMAN EMPRESS ELEONORA GONZAGA, circa 1657.

[constanius]

Obv. Holy Roman Empress, Eleonora Gonzaga facing 3/4 left, hair in ringlets & bows, drop pearl earings, pearl necklace & wearing a widow's peak veil. ELEONORA R. I. G. H. B. R. A. A. P. M. & M.

(Initials = Rom. Imp. Ger. Hun. Boh. Regina, Archducissa Austrice, Principissa Mantua & Montferat)

Rev. Sunflower(Gonzaga & Mantua emblem) facing the anthropomorphic sun which scatters the clouds. SEQVOR( I follow)

Cast bronze 43mm. I would date it circa 1657 as she is wearing the widow's peak veil.

"The example of this medal in the collection of the Banca Agricola Mantovana was published in their ‘Monete e medaglie di Mantova e dei Gonzaga dal XII al XIX secolo’ (1996), where the Gonzaga use of the sunflower as an emblem is briefly discussed" (thanks due to Philip Attwood Keeper of Coins & Medals at the British Museum for this information)

 

Born 1630, married Ferdinand III in 1651 and as his 3rd consort became Holy Roman Empress & Queen of the Germans 1651-1657.

After Ferdinand's death in 1657 she was the Dowager Empress & retained her active role at court as she was on good terms with her stepson, Leopold I the new emperor. She was a patron of the arts, especially music &, among many other religous endevours, founded the religious Order of the Starry Cross in 1668 & served as its Grand Mistress till her death in 1686.

 

 

[constanius]

The Gonzaga/Mantua sunflower on a billon.

[thedeadpoint]

I never think about sunflowers in a symbolic sense other than bucolic imagery.

 

Makes me think we should start a thread for coins/medals/etc with flowers featured

[constanius]

When I saw this exquisite item on Boris Wilnitsky Fine Arts site I knew the inspiration for the portrait on my medal.

Image used with the kind permission of Boris Wilnitsky Fine Arts. All Rights Reserved.

 

"This high quality miniature portrait of Eleonora Gonzaga (1630-1686), third wife (now already a widow) of Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand III was made by one of the Dutch artists working in 17th century at Vienna Court" size without frame, 4,9x3,9cm/1,9x1,5in oil on copper oval.

 

Using direct comparision, it is clear the medallist tried to show the wispy nature of her hair, particularly to the far side of her face, which helps to give the portrait the illusion of greater depth.

 

Image used with the kind permission of Boris Wilnitsky Fine Arts.

All Rights Reserved.

[thedeadpoint]

Interesting. I'm not sure I've noticed such fine, "light" handiwork on hair before. Not the most beautiful portrait but still fascinating.

[constanius]

The medal itself was quite poorly made, the portrait hopefully does not do the Dowager Empress' looks justice but because the portrait was done soon after she was widowed she might deliberately have made herself look dour, I do not mean to rule out that she was devastated by her husband's death.

 

It would not have been politically correct to appear beautiful and happy, as if she was glad he had died, especially as she had been the Empress but now her step-son had become Emperor maybe she felt her station in life was tenuous.

 

Happily for her the new Emperor liked and trusted his step-mother and she enjoyed many happy years after this portrait was done.

[thedeadpoint]

The medal itself was quite poorly made, the portrait hopefully does not do the Dowager Empress' looks justice but because the portrait was done soon after she was widowed she might deliberately have made herself look dour, I do not mean to rule out that she was devastated by her husband's death.

 

It would not have been politically correct to appear beautiful and happy, as if she was glad he had died, especially as she had been the Empress but now her step-son had become Emperor maybe she felt her station in life was tenuous.

 

Happily for her the new Emperor liked and trusted his step-mother and she enjoyed many happy years after this portrait was done.

 

 

Thank you for the context and adding the perspective. It makes me wonder what it would be like if our contemporaries were fashioned into medals more often these days.