Greek Medals, from "Gazette des Beaux-Arts"

Art Historical Context

Created in 1863 by French etcher Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart, *Greek Medals* appeared in the pages of *Gazette des Beaux-Arts*, one of the most influential art journals of the nineteenth century. This delicate etching captures the intricate reliefs and inscriptions of ancient Greek coins and medallions, allowing readers to study classical antiquity from their armchairs. Jacquemart specialized in reproductive prints that translated three-dimensional objects into fine black-and-white line, preserving both the texture of hammered metal and the dignity of the profiled figures. Etching proved especially suited to this task; the acid-bitten lines could render the subtle modeling of relief while maintaining crisp detail at a small scale. Published just four years after the journal’s founding, the print reflects the period’s growing fascination with archaeology and the desire to make museum treasures available to a wider public. Today, this sheet in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection—acquired as a gift in 1928—offers visitors a window onto both ancient Greek artistry and the nineteenth-century passion for reproducing it.

About the Artist

Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart|Gazette des Beaux-Arts · 1837–1880

**Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart: Master Etcher and Watercolorist** Jules-Ferdinand Jacquemart was born on September 7, 1837, in Paris to Albert Jacquemart, a prominent art collector, ceramics historian, and amateur artist, and Louise Émilie Labbé. The third of four children, he received his initial training in etching from his father, who had no formal master himself and emphasized self-taught preci...