Galerie métallique des grands hommes français (Great Men of France)
Medium
metalwork
Classification
metalwork
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Sarah Cooper Hewitt
Accession Number
1907-17-78
About this artwork
Research in Progress
Art Historical Context
**Galerie métallique grands hommes français (Metallic Gallery of the Great of France)** Created 1819 by French Caroline F. Grandjean this intriguing metalwork piece—now housed in the Smithsonian American Museum—celebrates France's illustrious historical figures. The title evokes a "metallic gallery," likely a series of finely crafted portraits or medallions honoring national heroes, rendered in enduring metal. Produced during the Bourbon Restoration, a time of renewed national pride following the Napoleonic Wars, it reflects the era's fascination with commemorating kings, generals, and think...