Anthony de Francisci, Ford Motor Company Anniversary Medal (obverse), 1955, bronze, 6 in. (15.2 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. Gilda Slate, 1966.110.42
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Artwork Details
- Title
- Ford Motor Company Anniversary Medal (obverse)
- Artist
- Date
- 1955
- Location
- Not on view
- Dimensions
- 6 in. (15.2 cm) diam.
- Credit Line
- Gift of Mrs. Gilda Slate
- Mediums
- Mediums Description
- bronze
- Classifications
- Subjects
- Portrait group — family
- Occupation — industry — automotive
- Portrait male — Ford, Henry, II — head
- Portrait male — Ford, Edsel — head
- Portrait male — Ford, Henry — head
- Object Number
- 1966.110.42
Artwork Description
Anthony de Francisci’s uniface artist’s strike, or sample, shows the obverse of the true medal. The portraits represent Henry Ford, his son Edsel Ford, and grandson Henry Ford II, who by 1955 had led the firm for ten years. An inscription indicates that the sculptor copied the portraits from a work by Norman Rockwell. Almost thirty years earlier, de Francisci had sculpted Henry Ford’s profile for a commemorative medal (see 1966.110.13).