Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia (1770–1840, r. 1797–1840)
ca. 1815
Medium
Glass, biscuit porcelain; gilded copper
Dimensions
Diameter: 2 3/4 in. (7 cm)
Classification
Glass
Culture
French, Paris
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Munsey Fund, 1927
Accession Number
27.185.381
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite medallion, titled *Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia (1770–1840, r. 1797–1840)*, is a finely crafted profile portrait created by the French artist Désprez around 1815 in Paris. Measuring just 2¾ inches in diameter, it the delicate artistry of early 19th-century European decorative objects, blending glass and biscuit—unglazed, matte porcelain prized for its soft, ivory-like finish—with gilded copper accents. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European and Decorative Arts Department it reflects the neoclassical taste for classical profiles and cameos popular during the Napo...