Admiral Nelson
Medium
Silver
Dimensions
Diameter: 8 3/8 in. (213 mm)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
British
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Assunta Sommella Peluso, Ada Peluso, and Romano I. Peluso, in memory of Ignazio Peluso, 2000
Accession Number
2000.224.21
Tags
Art Historical Context
Admiral Nelson, crafted in 1805 by British engraver Thomas Wyon Younger, is a striking silver medal measuring 8⅜ inches in diameter. As part of the Wyon legacy in numismatic art—Thomas being chief engraver to the Royal Mint—this piece exemplifies the precision of early 19th-century British medallic sculpture. Its profile portrait captures the heroic visage of Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, a icon, rendered with fine detail in high relief, showcasing Wyon's mastery of intaglio techniques on polished silver for a luminous, monumental effect. Struck in the very year of Nelson's death at the Battle...