Design for a jeton or a token: Maison de la Reine 1740
1740
Medium
Red chalk; red chalk wash surrounding design.
Dimensions
8 3/8 x 8 7/16 in. (21.3 x 21.4 cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1961
Accession Number
61.165.4
Tags
Art Historical Context
Edme Bouchardon, leading French sculptor of the 18th century known for his graceful neoclassical style infused with Rococo elegance, crafted this preparatory drawing in 1740 Titled *Design for a Jeton or a Token: Maison de la Reine 1740*, it served as a blueprint for a commemorative token honoring the "Queen's House"—likely a reference to a royal residence or event during the reign of Louis XV and Queen Marie Leszczyńska. Bouchardon's designs often blended classical motifs with contemporary French grandeur, making this piece a window into Versailles-era opulence. Executed in red chalk with a ...
About the Artist
Edme Bouchardon · 1698–1762
Born 29 May 1698; died 27 July 1762. Bouchardon was a student of Guillaume Coustou, and won the prix de Rome in 1722. He spent ten years (1722-1732) in Rome, Italy working on various projects for Pope Clement XII. In 1732 Bouchardon was recalled to Paris and named sculptor to the king. Bouchardon became a professor at the Académie Royale in 1746. He worked on an equestrian monument of Louis XV, Ki...