Hello! Welcome to your first lesson in our course on medallic art. Given your extensive background in sculpture and design, our goal is to build upon your existing skills and channel them into the specific conventions and history of this unique art form.
This first lesson addresses the learning outcome: Identify the major historical periods and stylistic movements in medallic art. We'll take a chronological journey from the medal's "invention" in the Renaissance through the major stylistic shifts of the Baroque, Neoclassical, and Modern periods. Understanding this history will provide the context for the design principles and techniques we'll explore in the lessons to come.
The Birth of the Modern Medal: The Renaissance
While coin-like objects and large medallions existed in ancient Rome, the art medal as a continuous tradition began during the Italian Renaissance. This period, marked by a revival of classical ideals and a new focus on humanism, was the perfect environment for an art form centered on celebrating the individual.
To understand the broader artistic mood of this era, please start by watching this overview of the Renaissance.
6 Art Movements You Should Know: From Renaissance to Realism
This video, from the Dans Le Gris channel, provides an excellent summary of the core ideas of Renaissance art—humanism, naturalism, and the return to classical harmony. It will set the stage for understanding how these ideas were expressed in the medal.
Please watch the segment on the Renaissance, from 00:00:16 to 00:02:35.
The key figure who translated these Renaissance ideals into the medallic form was the Italian painter and sculptor Antonio Pisano, known as Pisanello. He is credited with creating the first true portrait medal in 1439.
The following video provides a focused look at Pisanello's innovation and the context in which he worked.
Reading Renaissance Portraits, 1420-1500 | A Narrative Art History of the Renaissance (S2 E3)
From the 'Narrative Art History' channel, this segment explains how Pisanello, inspired by ancient Roman coins, invented the portrait medal format that is still influential today.
Watch the section from 00:07:57 to 00:09:40. Pay attention to the standard format Pisanello established: a profile portrait on the 'obverse' (front) and an allegorical or narrative scene on the 'reverse' (back).
As you saw, Pisanello's medals were not just portraits; they were powerful statements of identity and achievement. To delve deeper into the characteristics of Renaissance medals, please read the following text.
This article, 'A Brief History of the Medal' by Elvira Clain-Stefenalli for the American Medallic Sculpture Association, will be our primary guide through the history of the art form. This first section describes the style of Pisanello and his followers.
Read the four paragraphs starting from 'But with the spiritual awakening in Italy during the 1400s...' and ending with '...more emotional and esthetically refined works of Skopas and Praxitelles.' Focus on the description of the Italian style: forceful, realistic portraits and eloquent, allegorical reverses.
Key characteristics of the Renaissance medal (c. 1400-1600):
- Method: Primarily cast using the lost-wax process, a technique you are very familiar with. This allowed for subtle modeling and a softer, more painterly relief.
- Subject: The celebration of the individual (rulers, scholars, artists).
- Style: Grounded in realism and humanism. Portraits are often stark and sincere, while reverses are rich with classical allegory.
- Format: The established obverse (portrait) and reverse (narrative/symbol) combination.
Drama and Ornate Detail: The Baroque Period
As artistic tastes shifted in the 17th century, so did the medal. The Baroque era favored drama, movement, and grandeur.
First, let's get a feel for the general Baroque style.
6 Art Movements You Should Know: From Renaissance to Realism
Returning to the '6 Art Movements' video, this section explains the shift from Renaissance harmony to Baroque drama and emotional intensity.
Watch the segment on the Baroque style, from 00:02:17 to 00:05:04.
This emphasis on theatricality and rich detail was reflected in medallic art. The focus often shifted from the sitter's inner character to their external status, shown through elaborate costumes and complex allegorical scenes.
A crucial technological shift also occurred: the screw press became more common, meaning many medals were now struck from dies rather than cast. This allowed for sharper details, higher production numbers, and a harder, more graphic quality compared to the softer feel of cast medals.
Now, let's read about how the Baroque style and new technology impacted medals.
This section of 'A Brief History of the Medal' describes the Baroque medal's exuberant style and the consequences of the shift to striking.
Please read the section beginning 'The artists of the Baroque enchanted art lovers...' and ending with '...reigns the unchallenged in number and variety the Baroque historical medal...'. Note the change in production method and the explosion in the types of events commemorated.
Reason and Revolution: Neoclassicism and Romanticism
By the late 18th century, a reaction against the perceived excesses of the Baroque and Rococo styles led to Neoclassicism. This movement championed order, reason, and a return to the perceived moral clarity of ancient Greece and Rome.
6 Art Movements You Should Know: From Renaissance to Realism
This final video segment covers the clean, structured, and serious nature of Neoclassicism.
Watch the segment on Neoclassicism, from 00:06:09 to 00:08:50.
Napoleon Bonaparte was a master at using Neoclassical medals for propaganda, creating a comprehensive medallic history of his reign that emulated Roman imperial grandeur. The style was severe, with heroic, idealized portraits.
This section covers the shift to Neoclassicism and its most famous proponent, Napoleon.
Read the two paragraphs starting with 'In the late 1700s the world tired of the rich but shallow art...'. Pay attention to the description of Napoleon's medallic portraits as 'devoid of any external adornments.'
The Modern Art Medal
For centuries, the medal was largely bound by the rigid circular format and the high-relief, sharp-edged style suited to struck coinage. A revolution occurred in the second half of the 19th century, led by French artists who began to approach the medal differently.
This is a pivotal moment in medallic history, especially from a sculptor's perspective. Artists like Hubert Ponscarme, Jules-Clément Chaplain, and Louis-Oscar Roty treated the medal not as a coin, but as a miniature bas-relief. They introduced a more painterly approach, with softer modeling, atmospheric perspective, and designs that flowed more freely within the circular frame.
This movement spread across Europe and to America, where it was championed by sculptors like Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
The final reading covers this crucial break from tradition and the birth of the modern art medal, bringing us to the post-war era.
Read from 'During the following decades the imposing but utterly dull neo-classicistic style...' to the end of the article. Focus on the French artists who 'treated the medal as a bas-relief in miniature' and how the art form evolved through the 20th century.
The 20th century saw the medal used as a tool for political satire (Karl Goetz) and, after WWII, an explosion of non-conformist and abstract styles, pushing the boundaries of what a medal could be.
Conclusion
In this lesson, we've traced the evolution of medallic art through its major historical periods. You should now be able to identify the key stylistic signatures of each era.
Key Takeaways:
- Renaissance: The birth of the portrait medal with Pisanello. Characterized by cast production, realism, and classical humanism.
- Baroque: A shift to struck production. Style is dramatic, ornate, and often focused on pageantry and status.
- Neoclassicism: A return to classical order and severity, famously used by Napoleon for his medallic history.
- Modern Art Medal: A late 19th-century French movement that redefined the medal as a "miniature bas-relief," influencing medallic art to this day.
This historical foundation is crucial as we move forward. In our next lesson, we will begin to analyze compositional conventions for obverse and reverse medal design, looking at how artists have effectively used the circular tondo format—a direct continuation of the story we began today.