20-franc piece of the French Republic, 1907
Medium
Gold
Dimensions
Diameter: 7/8 in. (22 mm.)
Classification
Coins
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Edward D. Adams, 1908
Accession Number
08.146.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant 20-franc gold coin, struck in 1907 for the French Republic, exemplifies the refined medallic art of the Third Republic. Designed by Jules-Clément Chaplain, a leading French sculptor and medallist celebrated for his precise, classical style, the small gold piece—measuring just 22 millimeters across—serves both as currency and a miniature work of sculpture. Chaplain’s careful engraving captures the period’s blend of republican symbolism and technical mastery in coinage. The coin’s imagery prominently features a rooster, a longstanding emblem of French vigilance and national pride. ...
About the Artist
Jules-Clément Chaplain · 1839–1909
Jules-Clément Chaplain (1839–1909) was a French engraver and medallist who became the most celebrated practitioner of the art medal in late nineteenth-century France. Born in Mortagne-au-Perche in Normandy, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jouffroy and Oudiné and won the Prix de Rome for engraving in 1863, which enabled him to study in Italy for several years. Chaplain's work...