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Lot Essay
Born in Urbino, Italy, Jean-Baptiste Nini (1717-1786) began his training under his father, Domenico, who was a medallist and engraver. In Bologna Nini studied sculpture at the Accademia Clementina and produced engravings of landscapes which were fashionable at the time.
Nini was working as an engraver in Paris by 1758, and began to make portrait medallions, which engaged the interest of Jacques Donatien Le Ray (1726-1803), guardian of the Hôtel des Invalides and proprietor of the château of Chaumont-sur-Loire, where he had established a workshop for production of ceramics and glass. Nini was engaged to superintend Le Ray's factories in 1772, which allowed him to pursue the production of terracotta medallions.
Interested only in portraits, Nini executed likenesses of his friends, who included many of the most significant figures of the period, including Benjamin Franklin (1777), Louis XV (1770), Maria-Theresa, Empress of Austria (1769 and 1770) and Voltaire (1780), among others. Working only in terracotta from a carved wax mould, Nini modelled about one hundred portraits, but was able to retain the model and produce a large number of medallions. (See S. Scher, Dictionary of Art, 1986, vol. 23, p. 156).
Sixteen Nini portrait medallions were sold from the collection of Mrs. Nancy Richardson, Christie's New York, 28 January 1998, lots 190-215.
Nini was working as an engraver in Paris by 1758, and began to make portrait medallions, which engaged the interest of Jacques Donatien Le Ray (1726-1803), guardian of the Hôtel des Invalides and proprietor of the château of Chaumont-sur-Loire, where he had established a workshop for production of ceramics and glass. Nini was engaged to superintend Le Ray's factories in 1772, which allowed him to pursue the production of terracotta medallions.
Interested only in portraits, Nini executed likenesses of his friends, who included many of the most significant figures of the period, including Benjamin Franklin (1777), Louis XV (1770), Maria-Theresa, Empress of Austria (1769 and 1770) and Voltaire (1780), among others. Working only in terracotta from a carved wax mould, Nini modelled about one hundred portraits, but was able to retain the model and produce a large number of medallions. (See S. Scher, Dictionary of Art, 1986, vol. 23, p. 156).
Sixteen Nini portrait medallions were sold from the collection of Mrs. Nancy Richardson, Christie's New York, 28 January 1998, lots 190-215.