Fiat Vita Medal (obverse)

Anthony de Francisci, Fiat Vita Medal (obverse), 1935, copper/electrotype, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Gilda Slate, 1966.110.31
Anthony de Francisci, Fiat Vita Medal (obverse), 1935, copper/electrotype, 6 3⁄4 in. (17.3 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Gilda Slate, 1966.110.31

Artwork Details

Title
Fiat Vita Medal (obverse)
Artist
Date
1935
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
6 3⁄4 in. (17.3 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. Gilda Slate
Mediums
Mediums Description
copper/electrotype
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure — child — nude
  • Figure — fragment — hand
  • Landscape — celestial
Object Number
1966.110.31
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1966.110.31

Artwork Description

Anthony de Francisci’s artist’s strike, or sample, represents the obverse of the true medal and offers a stylized image taken from the book of Genesis, in the Old Testament. Behind the great hand that holds an infant, a bolt of lightning separates the heavens from the earth. The Latin phrase fiat vita means “let there be life,” de Francisci’s adaptation of the biblical phrase “Let there be light.” Research has not yet revealed the source of this commission or the purpose of the medal.

Works by this artist (244 items)

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Winslow Homer, High Cliff, Coast of Maine, 1894, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.29
High Cliff, Coast of Maine
Artist
Date1894
oil on canvas
On view
Winslow Homer, A Visit from the Old Mistress, 1876, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of William T. Evans, 1909.7.28
A Visit from the Old Mistress
Artist
Date1876
oil on canvas
On view
Winslow Homer, At Sea--Signalling a Passing Steamer, from Every Saturday, April 8, 1871, 1871, wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Ray Austrian Collection, gift of Beatrice L. Austrian, Caryl A. Austrian and James A. Austrian, 1996.63.178
At Sea – Signalling a Passing Steamer, from Every Saturday,…
Artist
Date1871
wood engraving on paper
Not on view
Winslow Homer, Homeward Bound, from Harper's Weekly, December 21, 1867, 1867, wood engraving on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Ray Austrian Collection, gift of Beatrice L. Austrian, Caryl A. Austrian and James A. Austrian, 1996.63.125
Homeward Bound, from Harper’s Weekly, December 21, 1867
Artist
Date1867
wood engraving on paper
Not on view

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Image Not Available
Les Quais de la Seine a Paris
Artist
Date1917
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Not on view