Medal of the Marquis de Lafayette
Medium
Iron
Dimensions
Diam. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm)
Classification
Medal
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Accession Number
83.2.318
Tags
Art Historical Context
This striking iron medal, crafted by French medalist François Augustin Caun in 1824, honors the Marquis de Lafayette, the celebrated hero of the American Revolution. Measuring just 1 3/4 inches in diameter, it features a detailed profile portrait of the marquis, capturing his noble visage in a classical style typical of early 19th-century medal art. Now housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing, it was generously gifted by William H. Huntington in 188. Lafayette's transatlantic fame peaked in 1824 during his triumphant farewell tour of the United States, marking the 50th annive...
About the Artist
François Augustin Caunois · 1787–1859
French, 1787–1859