Birth of King of Rome
Medium
Gilt bronze, struck
Dimensions
Diameter: 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Hon. Levi P. Morton, 1885
Accession Number
85.2.23
Art Historical Context
In 1811, amid the height of Napoleon Bonaparte's imperial ambitions, France celebrated the birth of his son, Napoléon François Joseph Charles Bonaparte, on March 20. Dubbed the "King of Rome" heir to a envisioned new Roman Empire, the infant's arrival was marked by widespread festivities and official commemorations. This exquisite gilt bronze medal, struck by the Paris Mint, that triumphant moment, embodying the era's blend of propaganda and artistry under the Napoleonic regime. Crafted by master engraver Bertrand Andrieu, with oversight from Baron Dominique Vivant Denon—director of the Frenc...
About the Artist
Bertrand Andrieu|baron Dominique Vivant Denon|Paris Mint · 1761–1822
French, Bordeaux 1761–1822 Paris