Medal commemorating the Capture of Valencia in Italy (La Prise de Valence en Italie)

Jean Mauger|Louis Simonneau|Jean Berain

ca. 1690–1710 · Engraving · Drawings and Prints

This print reproduces the front and back of a medal struck to commemorate a French victory over the Spanish during a battle fought in the Po Valley near Milan in 1656. Various versions of this medal exist, all designed by the medalist Jean Mauger. The front of the medal contains a portrait en profil of the young King Louis XIV, while the verso shows the figure of Minerva overpowering a female figure, likely the personification of the conquered city. The images of the medal are struck from a different smaller plate, set within a larger composition that also contains a historic description of the battle. The text and images are presented in a frame decorated with armorial trophies and the monogram and coat of arms of the French king.

Artist

Jean Mauger|Louis Simonneau|Jean Berain

Date

ca. 1690–1710

Medium

Engraving

Department

Drawings and Prints

Credit line

Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011