Johannes Bernouilli, wiskundige te Basel, penning geslagen op last van zijn vijf zonen

About this artwork

diameter 3.9 cm x weight 18.22 gr

Art Historical Context

This exquisite medal, titled *Johannes Bernoulli, wiskundige te Basel,ning geslagen op last zijn vijf zonen*Johann Bernoulli, Mathematician of Basel, Medal Struck by Order of His Five Sons), crafted by Swiss engraver Johann Ulrich Samson 1767. Measuring just 3.9 cm in diameter and weighing18.22 grams, it exemplifies the precision of 18th-century num art, where finely detailed dies were used to strike impressions in metal, capturing intricate portraits and inscriptions with remarkable clarity. Johann Bernoulli (1667–1748), a pioneering figure in the Bernoulli dynasty of mathematicians from Basel, revolutionized calculus, infinitesimal geometry, and mechanics. This posthumous medal, commissioned nearly two decades after his death by his five sons—including the renowned Daniel Bernoulli—serves as a filial tribute to his enduring legacy. It reflects the Enlightenment-era tradition of honoring intellectual giants through portable, durable commemorative objects, blending family devotion with scholarly reverence. In the Rococo style prevalent in Swiss medal-making, Samson's work highlights advanced metalworking techniques like high-relief striking, which allowed for lifelike features and symbolic motifs on both obverse and reverse. Such medals were prized by collectors, bridging art, science, and personal history in a single, intimate artifact.