The Peace of Vienna
Medium
Gilt bronze, struck
Dimensions
Diameter: 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm)
Classification
Medals and Plaquettes
Culture
French
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Hon. Levi P. Morton, 1885
Accession Number
85.2.11
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Behold *The Peace of Vienna* (1809), a exquisite gilt bronze medal struck by the Paris Mint, measuring just 1 5/8 inches in diameter. Crafted during the height of the Napoleonic Wars this small yet powerful plaquette commemorates the Peace of Vienna—an armistice following Napoleon's decisive victory over Austria at the Battle of Wagram. It symbolizes a brief moment of European diplomacy amid relentless conflict, reflecting France's imperial ambitions under Napoleon Bonaparte. Renowned engraver Bertrand Andrieu, a master of Napoleonic medallic art, designed the piece, with oversight from Baron Dominique Vivant Denon, Napoleon's influential director of museums. The struck technique—using precisely carved dies to imprint intricate details—allowed for sharp reliefs of allegorical figures, imperial emblems, and inscriptions, hallmarks of French neoclassical style. Gilding the bronze added a regal luster, elevating this functional commemorative object into a work of decorative artistry. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department since 1885, thanks to a gift from Hon. Levi P. Morton, this medal offers a tangible glimpse into early 19th-century propaganda and craftsmanship. Such plaquettes were prized by collectors, blending historical record with sculptural finesse for an intimate encounter with the era's grandeur.
About the Artist
Bertrand Andrieu|baron Dominique Vivant Denon|Paris Mint · 1761–1822
French, Bordeaux 1761–1822 Paris