Bowdoin College Museum of Art | - Passage of the Great St. Bernard

Preview image of work. lead-filled bronze cliché, Passage of the Great St. Bernard 37562

2011.69.457.31.b

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Passage of the Great St. Bernard

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Artist

Bertrand Andrieu (1761 - 1822)

Title

Passage of the Great St. Bernard

Creation Date

1800

Century

early 19th century

Dimensions

2 5/8 in. (6.67 cm)

Classification

Medals/Plaquettes

Creation Place

Europe, France

Medium and Support

lead-filled bronze cliché

Credit Line

Bequest of David P. Becker, Class of 1970

Copyright

This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s Copyright Terms and Conditions.

Accession Number

2011.69.457.31.b

Object Description

Per Bowdoin Student Benjamn Wu (graduating class of 2018) (prior to this e-mail it was catalogued as an undated, bronze, untitled medal by an unknown artist):
From: Benjamin Wu
Date: Friday, January 26, 2018 at 3:56 PM
To: "Laura J. Latman"
Cc: Anne Goodyear , Stephen Pastoriza , Michelle Henning , Amber Orosco
Subject: David Becker medal identified (2011.69.457.31)

Hi Laura,

As mentioned earlier- was browsing through Mark Jones's Art of the Medal book that Anne had wanted Stephen and I to review and recognized an image on page 101 of a medal I recall examining in storage and thought I should identify this since it was untitled on kiosk:
http://artmuseum.bowdoin.edu/Obj22916?sid=27317&x=44515&sort=9

This medal is actually an important medal of young Napolean Bonaparte by Bertrand Andrieu and according to Jones, is one of the most circulated image of Napolean. More info below:

Title: Passage of the Great St. Bernard
Date: 1800*
Artist: Bertrand Andrieu
Medium: lead-filled bronze cliche

* Issued as part of a boxed set of uniface medals by Andrieu apparently around 1815. However, it appears that most databases record the date as 1800

Of note is that we do have two examples of its more famous companion medal: Siege of the Bastille (1978.21 and another that isn't on the kiosk but recall seeing in storage; one of these two is clearly of better quality than the other)

And also another medal from the set: Arrival of the King at Paris (1978.19)- this one is donated by "Mrs. John Rand" according to the kiosk and object file

References:
https://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/57268

http://www.historicalartmedals.com/MEDAL%20WEB%20ENTRIES/FRANCE/NAPOLEONIC%20MEDALS/ANDRIEU-ST.%20BERNARD-BW396%20HIGH.htm

https://www.frick.org/exhibitions/scher/themes_french_revolution (#108)

Info on the boxed set:
http://www.historicalartmedals.com/MEDAL%20WEB%20ENTRIES/FRANCE/NAPOLEONIC%20MEDALS/ANDRIEU-BOXED%20SET-BW388%20HIGH.htm

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/a-cased-set-of-ten-circular-patinated-5714836-details.aspx
Best regards,
Ben