Maria Clementina Sobieska

1 portrait by Otto Hamerani

Maria Clementina Sobieska, by Otto Hamerani, 1719 -NPG 1686 - © National Portrait Gallery, London

© National Portrait Gallery, London

Early Georgian Portraits Catalogue

Maria Clementina Sobieska

by Otto Hamerani
1719
1 7/8 in. (48 mm) diameter
NPG 1686

Inscriptionback to top

Obverse: around the inner rim CLEMENTINA. M.BRITAN. FR. ET. HIB. REGINA., and bottom right, in smaller lettering: OTTO. HAMERANI. F.
Reverse: inscribed, upper rim, FORTUNAM. CAVSAMQVE. SEQVOR and, lower rim, smaller lettering: DECEPTIS. CUSTODIBUS/MDCCXIX.

This portraitback to top

The medal commemorating the dramatic escape of the Princess from Innsbruck was struck after news of the marriage negotiations became known. [1] Rescued by four Irish officers, she was brought safely to Bologna and married by proxy on 9 May. [2] She went to Rome soon after and was met by James on 1 September at Montefiascone. The Hamerani attribution, at one time questioned, [3] is now confirmed by the British Museum. [4] Copper and silver strikes of NPG 1686 and medals by Hamerani commemorating the marriage and the birth of Prince Charles are in the Scottish NPG.

Footnotesback to top

1) The strike in the British Museum not given to Hamerani, British Museum, Medallic Illustrations of the History of Great Britain and Ireland, compiled F. Hawkins and others, II, p 444 (49).
2) Martin Haile [Miss Hallé], James Francis Edward, The Old Chevalier, 1907, pp 253, 270ff.
3) L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of English Medallists, 1904-30, II, p 407.
4) J. C. P. Kent, verbal, 1970.

Physical descriptionback to top

Obverse: profile, hair dressed in classical manner with pearls and circlet, curls behind shoulder and on forehead; pearl drop earring, single strand pearl necklace, low-cut dress with drapery caught at the bosom with pearl tie.
Reverse: riding, to left, in a chariot drawn by two horses; landscape background with Rome and the Colosseum, a ship and sun low on the horizon.

Conservationback to top

Good.

Provenanceback to top

Presented, 1912, by Sir Charles Holmes; bought by him from Spinks that year.


This extended catalogue entry is from the out-of-print National Portrait Gallery collection catalogue: John Kerslake, Early Georgian Portraits, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1977, and is as published then. For the most up-to-date details on individual Collection works, we recommend reading the information provided in the Search the Collection results on this website in parallel with this text.

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