A rare and elegant pair of late Louis XVI period portrait medallions, finely cast in ormolu (mercury-gilded bronze) and mounted on white marble plaques with twisted gilt bronze hanging rings. Dating to around 1792, these exquisite neoclassical medallions depict Emperor Franz I of Austria (1768–1835) and Empress Maria Theresa of Sicily (1772–1807) in finely detailed profile.
DIMENSIONS: Height: 6 ¾ in. (17 cm) Width: 5 ¾ in. (14.5 cm)
This pair is nearly identical to a set held in the prestigious James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, UK (see: T. Hodgkinson, The James A. de Rothschild Collection at Waddesdon Manor, Sculpture, 1970, nos. 44–45). According to Hodgkinson, the portraits likely date to circa 1792, when Franz was appointed Emperor and became entitled to wear the insignia of the Order of Maria Theresa.
These medallions are not only remarkable for their craftsmanship and historical resonance but also for their direct connection to imperial iconography. A highly decorative and collectible piece for lovers of neoclassical art and 18th-century European history.
