Hippolyte Fortoul (1811–1856), French man-of-letters and politician
Medium
Bronze, cast - single
Dimensions
Diameter: 6 1/2 in. (16.5 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
98.7.32
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite bronze medal, created by the renowned French sculptor Pierre-Jean David d'Angers 1839, captures the profile of Hippolyte Fortoul1811–1856), a prominent man-of-letters, philosopher and politician. Fortoul rose to influence during France's July Monarchy and later served as Minister of Fine Arts under Napoleon III, advocating for cultural reforms. David d'Angers, a master of Romantic portraiture, immortalized over 500 such luminaries in medallions, blending neoclassical precision with expressive individualism to honor the era's intellectuals and leaders. Measuring just 6½ inches i...
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...