Portrait of Adolf Meyer-Gedanensis, Numismatist, in his 63rd Year
ca. 1889
Medium
Bronze
Dimensions
2 1/4 × 2 in. (57 × 51 mm)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
Austrian
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1908
Accession Number
08.70.15
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, sculptor Anton Scharff this intimate bronze portrait medal honoring Adolf Meyer-Gedanensis a distinguished numismatist from (formerly Danzig), captured in his 63rd year 1889. Measuring just 2¼ × 2 inches, this finely detailed plaquette exemplifies the Renaissance-inspired revival of medal art in Europe, where small-scale sculptures celebrated scholars, patrons, and collectors. Scharff, known for his precise portraiture, immortalizes Meyer amid a era when numismatics— the study of coins and medals—flourished as both scholarly pursuit and cultural treasure hunt. Bronze...
About the Artist
Anton Scharff · 1845–1903
Anton Scharff (1845–1903) was one of the foremost medallists and engravers of nineteenth-century Austria, whose precision, formal elegance, and prolific output earned him an international reputation. Born in Vienna, he received his training at the Imperial Mint and the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts, absorbing the rigorous technical traditions of Central European medal-making while also engaging with...