Portrait of Marguerite Simon

Art Historical Context

Jules-Clément Chaplain’s *Portrait of Marguerite Simon* (1888) is a finely cast bronze medal that captures the delicate profile of a young girl. Measuring just over four inches in diameter, the work exemplifies the intimate scale of the medal format, which allows for precise detail in a portable object. The composition features a graceful profile view accented by floral motifs, lending a sense of freshness and natural elegance to the portrait. Chaplain, a leading French medallist of the late nineteenth century, played a central role in reviving the art of struck and cast medals as a respected sculptural medium. Working in an era when academic sculpture often favored large public monuments, he championed smaller, refined works that combined technical mastery with personal expression. His medals frequently honored contemporary figures, blending classical profile traditions with a modern sensitivity to individual character. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts, this piece reflects the flourishing of French medal-making during the Third Republic. Donated in 1893 by Samuel P. Avery, it offers visitors a glimpse into the period’s appreciation for miniature sculpture as both an artistic and commemorative form.

About the Artist

Jules-Clément Chaplain · 1839–1909

Jules-Clément Chaplain (1839–1909) was a French engraver and medallist who became the most celebrated practitioner of the art medal in late nineteenth-century France. Born in Mortagne-au-Perche in Normandy, he studied at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris under Jouffroy and Oudiné and won the Prix de Rome for engraving in 1863, which enabled him to study in Italy for several years. Chaplain's work...