Thomas Cranmer
Jean Dassier
1725
Medium
striking (metalworking)
Dimensions
2.8; 9.99
About this artwork
Gift of J.M. van Gelder-Nijhoff
Art Historical Context
Behold this finely struck medal portraying **Thomas Cranmer**, crafted by the renowned Swiss medallist Jean Dassier in1725. Measuring just 2.8 cm in diameter and weighing 9.99 grams, this petite metalwork exemplifies the precision of 18th-century numismatic art. Dassier, part of a celebrated family of engravers, specialized in portrait medals that captured the likenesses of historical luminaries with remarkable fidelity. Thomas Cranmer (1489–1556), of Canterbury under Henry VIII, played a pivotal role in the English Reformation, advocating for reforms and compiling the Book of Common Prayer. ...