Medallion
1870–1900
Medium
Copper-brown galvano patina
Dimensions
Diam. 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)
Classification
Medallion
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Huntington, 1883
Accession Number
83.2.164
Tags
Art Historical Context
This elegant medallion, created by Jean Martin Rena between 1870 and 1900, presents a profile portrait of Benjamin Franklin, one of America’s most celebrated Founding Fathers. Measuring just 3½ inches in diameter, the work captures Franklin’s distinctive features in a classic commemorative style that echoes ancient coinage and Renaissance medals. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum’s American Wing, it reflects the enduring fascination with Franklin as a symbol of ingenuity, diplomacy, and democratic ideals long after his lifetime. The piece is executed in copper-brown galvano patina, a 19th-cen...
About the Artist
Jean Martin Renaud (French) · 1746 –1821
French, Sarreguemines 1746–1821 Paris