DOI issue:
No. 67 (October 1898)
DOI article:Marx, Roger: The renaissance of the medal in France
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19230#0031
The Renaissance of the Medal in France
being made in this machine have induced artists to
cease engraving their coins, and thus save themselves
much slow and difficult labour. The advantages
secured by this method are numerous, notably
mechanical precision of constant regularity, to-
gether with sense of security in knowing the work
of reduction to be carried out under the super-
vision of M. Paulin Tasset and M. Janvier, who
are not only artist-engineers but trained medallists
as well.
M. Alphonse Legros and the society he has re-
cently started in London,* are endeavouring, to-
gether with M. Charpentier and M. Cazin in Paris, to
oppose the adoption of this double course—de-
plorable in their eyes—this collaboration with
science, in place of executing the medal direct in
its final proportions. If we regard the matter from
the aesthetic point of
view the justness of this
protest must be ad-
,..x mitted. Nevertheless
first or the second Re- >£, - ' ' Sis.
,,. . . . . r there are other ways of
public: that is to say, a /.. -.■ &t-jr. ■ ,FT - . , J.
/ - ' - • looking at the question,
century in the one case ASlffia-'J^z>.'m-i r * ■-. , -:.•'.•<■•/. "»
A A, ' r - / Tust as M. Puvis de
and fifty years in the £7 ■JrQ'* \< ™
other. Private initiative P'" .(^M^',, , Chavannes, by a process
by t. c. chaplain
has now stepped in, and
a
of mental adaptation,
Sod/te^des Amis de paints his mural deco"
laMedaille/'opentoall, " ' rr / ■ ' l ^^^Mh m his studio>
rr i ii ., n. f'i^-Si with as much regard for
is m course of formation. * 1 j | (■■> j y^- \ '
It is proposed that at W^^""' > * See The Studio, vol.
each annual conference ^W"-'-fxiii. p. 264, 1898, for an
of the members several if/ account of the first exhibition
medals shall be de- %s^& a \ \ ^/ of this society, over which
signed, the number of ' M- Legros presides,
specimens struck or cast
medal by max bourgeois
to be exactly equal to
that of the membership.
Evidence of approval is coming in from all sides.
Apart from engravings and posters, I can scarcely
think of anything now enjoying so large a share of
favour as the medal. And, like the engraving and
the poster, it may become an active popularising
agent, for, circulated in large number and sold at
a price well within the reach of all, these works of
art will act most beneficially in arousing and de-
veloping the instinct of beauty among every class.
In the course of an article in these pages, devoted
to M. Roty,* it was pointed out that, save in very
rare instances, our medallists make a large model
of every work, and that this model is then reduced
to the size required by the tour a red'uire, or re-
ducing apparatus. The improvements constantly
* See The Studio, vol. viL p. 158. medal by j. c. chaplain
17
being made in this machine have induced artists to
cease engraving their coins, and thus save themselves
much slow and difficult labour. The advantages
secured by this method are numerous, notably
mechanical precision of constant regularity, to-
gether with sense of security in knowing the work
of reduction to be carried out under the super-
vision of M. Paulin Tasset and M. Janvier, who
are not only artist-engineers but trained medallists
as well.
M. Alphonse Legros and the society he has re-
cently started in London,* are endeavouring, to-
gether with M. Charpentier and M. Cazin in Paris, to
oppose the adoption of this double course—de-
plorable in their eyes—this collaboration with
science, in place of executing the medal direct in
its final proportions. If we regard the matter from
the aesthetic point of
view the justness of this
protest must be ad-
,..x mitted. Nevertheless
first or the second Re- >£, - ' ' Sis.
,,. . . . . r there are other ways of
public: that is to say, a /.. -.■ &t-jr. ■ ,FT - . , J.
/ - ' - • looking at the question,
century in the one case ASlffia-'J^z>.'m-i r * ■-. , -:.•'.•<■•/. "»
A A, ' r - / Tust as M. Puvis de
and fifty years in the £7 ■JrQ'* \< ™
other. Private initiative P'" .(^M^',, , Chavannes, by a process
by t. c. chaplain
has now stepped in, and
a
of mental adaptation,
Sod/te^des Amis de paints his mural deco"
laMedaille/'opentoall, " ' rr / ■ ' l ^^^Mh m his studio>
rr i ii ., n. f'i^-Si with as much regard for
is m course of formation. * 1 j | (■■> j y^- \ '
It is proposed that at W^^""' > * See The Studio, vol.
each annual conference ^W"-'-fxiii. p. 264, 1898, for an
of the members several if/ account of the first exhibition
medals shall be de- %s^& a \ \ ^/ of this society, over which
signed, the number of ' M- Legros presides,
specimens struck or cast
medal by max bourgeois
to be exactly equal to
that of the membership.
Evidence of approval is coming in from all sides.
Apart from engravings and posters, I can scarcely
think of anything now enjoying so large a share of
favour as the medal. And, like the engraving and
the poster, it may become an active popularising
agent, for, circulated in large number and sold at
a price well within the reach of all, these works of
art will act most beneficially in arousing and de-
veloping the instinct of beauty among every class.
In the course of an article in these pages, devoted
to M. Roty,* it was pointed out that, save in very
rare instances, our medallists make a large model
of every work, and that this model is then reduced
to the size required by the tour a red'uire, or re-
ducing apparatus. The improvements constantly
* See The Studio, vol. viL p. 158. medal by j. c. chaplain
17