Extremely Rare Joan of Arc Medal in Bronze by Jean Jacques Gatteaux "Joan Listens To Her Voices" Circa 1820
So much to say about this beautiful little medal.
It depicts Joan of Arc being inspired by the voices calling her to save France.
This is an extremely rare example, in fact I only know of one - this one.
Jacques Edouard Gatteaux was born in 1788 and he died there in 1881 During his life he bacame one of the most famous sculptors, engravers and medallists of France.
He won first prize in the prix de Rome in 1809 and was elected a member of the Académie des beaux-arts in 1845 and of the Institut de France. He also became an officer of the Légion d'honneur.
Among his medals are examples showing Corneille, La Fontaine, Buffon, Malherbe, Rabelais, the coronation of Charles X and the arrival of Louis-Philippe. He designed marble busts of Rabelais and Michelangelo, as well as the statue of Anne de Beaujeu in the Reines de France et Femmes illustres series in the jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. In 2004, the musée du Louvre pre-empted a Sotheby's sale in Paris of a 74-cm high bronze statue of Minerva by him from 1843.
He created a series of bronze medals in 1817 of famous French people and originals of these medals sell for many hundreds of euros. All of those medals were in the style that we associate with commemorative medals of the period.
Gatteaux only appears to have created one other medal in this style and I have been able to find three examples. Two are in museums and the third recently sold at auction for 700 euros. https://www.osenat.com/lot/17374/3408654
I have enlosed a photo of that medal of Napoleon I to show it is an identical style to this one.
This stunning medal came from the collection of the chateaux near Agen.
The history of the medal, the engraver and the subject are fascinating for me and I apologise if I give you too much to read.
The medal measures 22 mm in diameter and weighs 5 grams. It is made from solid bronze.
So much to say about this beautiful little medal.
It depicts Joan of Arc being inspired by the voices calling her to save France.
This is an extremely rare example, in fact I only know of one - this one.
Jacques Edouard Gatteaux was born in 1788 and he died there in 1881 During his life he bacame one of the most famous sculptors, engravers and medallists of France.
He won first prize in the prix de Rome in 1809 and was elected a member of the Académie des beaux-arts in 1845 and of the Institut de France. He also became an officer of the Légion d'honneur.
Among his medals are examples showing Corneille, La Fontaine, Buffon, Malherbe, Rabelais, the coronation of Charles X and the arrival of Louis-Philippe. He designed marble busts of Rabelais and Michelangelo, as well as the statue of Anne de Beaujeu in the Reines de France et Femmes illustres series in the jardin du Luxembourg in Paris. In 2004, the musée du Louvre pre-empted a Sotheby's sale in Paris of a 74-cm high bronze statue of Minerva by him from 1843.
He created a series of bronze medals in 1817 of famous French people and originals of these medals sell for many hundreds of euros. All of those medals were in the style that we associate with commemorative medals of the period.
Gatteaux only appears to have created one other medal in this style and I have been able to find three examples. Two are in museums and the third recently sold at auction for 700 euros. https://www.osenat.com/lot/17374/3408654
I have enlosed a photo of that medal of Napoleon I to show it is an identical style to this one.
This stunning medal came from the collection of the chateaux near Agen.
The history of the medal, the engraver and the subject are fascinating for me and I apologise if I give you too much to read.
The medal measures 22 mm in diameter and weighs 5 grams. It is made from solid bronze.
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