Portrait of Adolphe Brongniart, of the Academy of Sciences, 1880
1880
Medium
Bronze, cast
Dimensions
Diameter: 2 5/8 in. (67 mm)
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, 1897
Accession Number
97.15.24
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the late 19th century, French artist Louis-Oscar Roty was a master of the medal, blending classical precision with emerging Art Nouveau elegance. His *Portrait of Adolpheongniart, of the Academy of Sciences*1880) exemplifies this craft in a small yet striking bronze cast, measuring just 2⅝ inches in diameter. Roty captures the distinguished botanist and paleontologist Adol Brongniart—renowned for his groundbreaking work on fossil plants and elected to the prestigious Académie des Sciences—with a profile view that conveys intellectual gravitas and scientific legacy. Crafted as a plaquette, ...
About the Artist
Louis-Oscar Roty · 1846–1911
Louis-Oscar Roty, commonly known as Oscar Roty (1846–1911), was born on June 11 in Paris's Belleville neighborhood, the son of a modest schoolmaster. He began his artistic training under Horace Lecoq de Boisbaudran at the Petite École (later the École des Arts Décoratifs), honing his drawing skills, before entering the École des Beaux-Arts in 1864. There, he studied sculpture and medal engraving u...