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拍品专文
Born in Urbino, Italy, Jean-Baptiste Nini (1717-1786) began his training under his father, Domenico, who was a medallist and engraver. 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).
A pair of Nini medallions of Louis XV and Maria Theresa was sold in these Rooms, 22 May 2002, lot 301 ($13,145).
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).
A pair of Nini medallions of Louis XV and Maria Theresa was sold in these Rooms, 22 May 2002, lot 301 ($13,145).