Medals about Art

The uniface medallion's obverse shows nude, winged female figure with hammer and chisel.

This medal is still awarded during the National Sculpture Society's annual exhibition.  It is awarded in Gold, Silver and Bronze, corresponding with 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize winners. The Society's March 1, 1966 meeting minutes state that

"Charlotte Dunwiddie [Chair of the Exhibition Committee] asked to establish three medals: one gold, one silver and one bronze, as awards for the annual exhibition. After some discussion, a Motion was made, Seconded, and Carried, approving it.  The awards to be given to sculpture in the rounds, as well as to reliefs which do not fall under the other prizes for medals or small bas-reliefs.” 

In 1978, Bruno Mankowski won the Gold Medal for his 32" high bronze “Seated Figure.”

The medal bears the NSS' old logo (it was changed in 2015).  The logo is based on the sculpture ‘Into the Unknown’ by Hermon Atkins MacNeil which can be admired in the sculpture park at Brookgreen Gardens in South Carolina. While MacNeil cannot possibly have sculpted the medal, his sculpture is certainly the inspiration for the design.  I do not know whether he converted it to a medallic design himself or whether another sculptor did that after his death.

The medallion measures 98.2mm in diameter. No mintage is reported. Many thanks to Elizabeth Helms from the NSS for her assistance in documenting this beautiful medallion.

The medal's obverse bears bust of Washington Allston, facing right.  Around left and right, WASHINGTON - ALLSTON; signed at bottom, P. P. DUGGAN DEL.  C. C. WRIGHT SC.

The reverse bears standing Columbia with American shield, crowning two artists, one holding sculptor's mallet, the other painter's pallet and brushes, on step below. Around top, AMERICAN - ART-UNION; signed and dated on steps, P.P. DUGGAN DEL. / 1847 - C.C. WRIGHT SC.

Washington Allston (1779-1843) was a famous American painter and poet who was born in Waccamaw River, South Carolina. After traveling a lot, he spent most of his later life in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He is buried in Harvard Square. A western suburb of Boston, Allston, is named after him.

This was the first medal in the American Art-Union medal series.

The circular medal measures 64.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze at the U.S. Mint. No mintage is reported.

Many thanks to eBayer Pat who granted me permission to use the images of the silver variant and to Tom Rogahn who pointed them out to me.

References:   AAU 1, Storer 1860, Marqusee 409

The medal's obverse bears bust of Will Page, facing right. Around left and right, WILL - PAGE; signed and dated around bottom, C.C. WRIGHT FEC. - 1848 - S ELLIS DEL.

The reverse bears painter's pallet with brushes. Above, BORN ALABANY N.Y. JAN 25 1811; signed below pallet, C. C. Wright F.

William Page (1811-1885) was an American Painter and portrait artist. Originally born in Albany, his family moved to New York City when he was nine and he soon apprenticed with James Herring and Samuel Morse. He was widely praised during his lifetime but his reputation suffered after his death because he changed styles frequently and his paintings tended to darken excessively with time.

This medal's obverse might well have been intended for the fourth American Art-Union issue. Unfortunately, changes in law prevented the Art-Union from continuing with its lottery model beyond 1849.

The circular medal measures 47.5mm in diameter and was struck in bronze by the U.S. Mint.  No mintage is reported.

The medal's obverse bears bust of Gilbert Stuart, facing left. Around left and right, GILBERT - STUART. Signed under truncation, C.C. WRIGHT F.; at lower edge,  S. ELLIS DEL.

The reverse bears Columbia with American shield on steps crowning two artists, one a painter holding a pallet and brushes, one a sculptor cradling a mallet in the crook of his arm. Around left and right, AMERICAN - ART-UNION; signed and dated on steps, P.P.D.D - C.C.W.F. - 1848

Gilbert Charles Stuart (1755-1828) was an American painter, best known for his portraits. He was born in Rhode Island but practiced his art in Newport, New York, Philadelphia and finally in Boston.  He is buried in the Old South Burial Ground of the Boston Common.

This was the second medal issued by the American Art-Union.

The circular medal measures 64.2mm in diameter and was struck in bronze, white metal, and silver at the U.S. Mint. No mintage is reported for any variant but it is believed that the one silver piece that is known (Stacks & Bowers, Americana Auction 2005) might be unique.

References:   AAU 2, Storer 2042, Marqusee 401

The medal's obverse bears bust of John Trumbull. Around left and right, JOHN - TRUMBULL; signed on truncation, at bottom, B. HUGHES DEL.

The reverse bears Columbia with American shield on steps crowning two artists, one a painter holding a pallet and brushes, one a sculptor cradling a mallet in the crook of his arm. Around left and right, AMERICAN - ART-UNION; signed and dated on steps, P.P.D.D - C.C.W.F. - 1849

John Trumbull (1756-1843) was an American painter and is often referred to as "The painter of the Revolution."  His painting of the Declaration of Independence was used on the reverse side of the bicentennial $2 bill.  He served in the Revolutionary War as an aide to George Washington, a position from which he resigned in a dispute over his commission date.

This was the third and last medal issued by the American Art-Union. 

The circular medal measures 64mm in diameter and was struck in bronze and silver by the U.S. Mint.  No mintages are reported but the silver variant is exceedingly rare, with only a handful of pieces known to exist.

References:   AAU 3, Marqusee 404

The plaquette bears seated female figure, l., holding vase in both hands; to her left, view of Gorham factory in Providence, Rhode Island; above two cherubs flanking Gorham stamps consisting of lion, anchor and Gothic letter G. In exergue, GORHAM MFG CO. / PROVIDENCE R. I.; signed at right bottom, E. E. CODMAN Sc

This handsome little plaquette might have been a salesman's sample of the products Gorham could produce. It is struck on a very thin planchet, maybe to keep the weight down.

The rectangular plaquette mesaures 95.8mm x 46mm and was struck in bronze by the Gorham Manufacturing Company of Providence, Rhode Island.

The uniface medallion bears nude male painter, r., seated on stool, pallet cradled in left arm, brush raised in outstretched right; rolled canvas and vase filled with brushes at his feet. Signed in exergue, V. D. Brenner

Brenner succeeds in conveying the passion with which the painter pursues his art. His attention is fixed on the canvas that is not visible in the design and his body is expressing tension and passion rather than relaxed engagement.

This is probably a design for a two-sided medal.  It was struck in lead covered by a thin copper shell, a method that allowed the almost seamless combination of two such medal halves by soldering them together. 

Many thanks to the Numismatics department of the Yale University Art Gallery for their generosity and assistance in making this medal available to me for research.

The medallion's obverse bears portrait of Barry Faulkner in beaded center field; small bird ti his left. Around, · (rosetta) · BARRY · FAULKNER ·  (rosetta) · / · PAINTER ·  (rosetta) · MCMXV ·

The reverse bears nude Orpheus with lyre pursuing nude, winged Eurydice. Around, · TO · THE · ULTIMATE · DO · WE · PURSUE · THE · IDEAL · ; signed under lyre, · PAUL · MANSHIP ·

Barry Faulkner (1881-1966) was an American artist primarily known for his murals. During World War I, he and sculptor Sherry Edmundson Fry organized artists for training as camouflage specialists (called camoufleurs), an effort that contributed to the founding of the American Camouflage Corps in 1917.

Faulkner and Manship had both been students at the American Academy in Rome from 1909 to 1912. They also both had studios in the Cape Anne area of Massachusetts. This medallion was apparently used as an award medal by the Rockport Art Association.

The circular medallion measures 89.4mm in diameter and was cast in bronze. No production quantity is reported.

References:   Murtha 63

The galvano relief bears nude, winged muse in dramatic pose being pursued by artist carrying a lyre; double helix around. Around, · TO · THE · ULTIMATE · DO · WE · PURSUE · THE · IDEAL · ; signed under lyre, · PAUL · MANSHIP ·

This galvano represents a design for the Barry Faulkner medal that was used as an award by the Rockport Art Association.

The roughly circular galvano measures 87.7mm in diameter.