Edgar Quinet (1803–1875), French poet and political writer
Medium
Bronze, cast - single
Dimensions
Diameter: 6 7/8 in. (17.5 cm)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Samuel P. Avery, 1898
Accession Number
98.7.24
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze medal, created by the renowned French Romantic sculptor Pierre-Jean David d'Angers in 1838, immortalizes Edgar Quinet (1803–1875), a prominent poet, historian, and political thinker Quinet rose to fame during France's July Monarchy for his liberal ideas and critiques of authoritarianism, blending Romantic lyricism with republican fervor. David d'Angers, a master of portrait medallions, captured Quinet's profile in sharp, classical relief, evoking the heroic busts of antiquity while infusing Romantic expressiveness—ideal for honoring intellectuals of the era. Crafted as a...
About the Artist
Pierre Jean David d'Angers · 1788–1856
Pierre-Jean David d'Angers, born on March 12, 1788, in Angers, France, to a wood carver and ornamental sculptor father who had fought in the Republican army, began his artistic training locally under Marchand and Jean-Jacques Delusse at the École centrale d'Angers from 1806 to 1807. In 1808, he arrived in Paris with scant funds and entered the studio of Philippe-Laurent Roland, later working under...