Reduction et Frappe de Medailles
Alexandre-Louis-Marie Charpentier, ca. 1900–1910
About this artwork
In the early 20th century, sculptor and medallist Alexandre-Louis-Marie Charpentier the intricate craft of medal-making in his bronze plaquette *Réduction et Frappe de Médailles* (ca. 1900–1910). Measuring just over two inches across, this intimate work exemplifies the revival of the medal as a fine art form in fin-de-siècle France.pentier, a master of the medium, belonged to the Art Nouveau movement, blending elegant lines with realistic detail to celebrate artisanal labor. The plaquette depicts men at work—likely engravers reducing designs to scale and striking them into metal—highlighting the technical precision behind these miniature sculptures. Bronze, cast with fine chasing for texture and depth, underscores the material's historical role in durable, collectible art objects, from Renaissance portraits to modern commemoratives. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection, this piece reflects Charpentier's advocacy for medals as accessible yet sophisticated expressions of craft. It invites visitors to appreciate the unsung heroes of the workshop, bridging industrial innovation and artistic tradition in Belle Époque Paris.