Edgar Quinet (1803–1875), French poet and political writer

Art Historical Context

This exquisite bronze medal, created by the renowned French Romantic sculptor Pierre-Jean David d'Angers in 1838, immortalizes Edgar Quinet (1803–1875), a prominent poet, historian, and political thinker Quinet rose to fame during France's July Monarchy for his liberal ideas and critiques of authoritarianism, blending Romantic lyricism with republican fervor. David d'Angers, a master of portrait medallions, captured Quinet's profile in sharp, classical relief, evoking the heroic busts of antiquity while infusing Romantic expressiveness—ideal for honoring intellectuals of the era. Crafted as a single-cast bronze plaquette (6 7/8 inches in diameter), the medal exemplifies the 19th-century revival of Renaissance medal-making traditions. These small-scale sculptures were prized by collectors for their portability and intimacy, allowing admirers to carry a piece of cultural history. David's precise chasing and patination techniques lend the surface a lifelike depth, highlighting Quinet's thoughtful gaze amid turbulent times. Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection (gift of Samuel P. Avery, 1898), this work invites visitors to ponder the intersection of art, literature, and politics in Romantic France.

About the Artist

Pierre Jean David d'Angers · 1788–1856

Pierre-Jean David d'Angers, born on March 12, 1788, in Angers, France, to a wood carver and ornamental sculptor father who had fought in the Republican army, began his artistic training locally under Marchand and Jean-Jacques Delusse at the École centrale d'Angers from 1806 to 1807. In 1808, he arrived in Paris with scant funds and entered the studio of Philippe-Laurent Roland, later working under...