George Canning (1770–1827), British conservative statesman

Art Historical Context

This exquisite bronze medal, cast in 1827 by the renowned French Romantic sculptor Pierre Jean David dAngers, immortalizes George Canning (1770–1827), Britain's influential conservative statesman and short-lived Prime Minister. Measuring just 5¼ inches in diameter, it captures Canning's profile in a style, evoking the grandeur of ancient Roman coins while honoring a modern political titan. David d'Angers, a master of portrait medallions, produced of such works, blending sharp realism with idealized heroism to commemorate Europe's luminaries. Created in the very year of Canning's death, the medal likely served as a posthumous tribute, reflecting the era's fascination with commemorative plaquettes—small-scale sculptures prized by collectors for their portability and intimacy. Canning, known for his eloquent oratory and pivotal role in shaping British foreign policy, bridged Tory conservatism with liberal reforms, making him a fitting subject for a French artist's international gaze amid post-Napoleonic cultural exchanges. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department since Samuel P. Avery's 1898 gift, this single-cast bronze exemplifies the technical precision of 19th-century foundry work, where fine details in facial features and drapery convey both personal likeness and historical gravitas. A delightful pocket-sized portal to transatlantic diplomacy!

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...