THE MEDALLIC SKETCHES OF AUGUSTIN DUPRÉ IN AMERICAN COLLECTIONS CARL ZIGROSSER Vice-Director and Curator of Prints, Drawings and Rare Books, Philadelphia Museum of Art THE drawings and preliminary studies of an artist often throw light upon his method of work ing, and reveal the circumstances by which certain famous works were commissioned. An opportunity to do this is afforded by a study of two groups of drawings, medallic sketches, and proofs from the personal collection of the famous French medalist. Augustin Dupré, which are preserved in the American Philosophical Society Library and in the Boston Public Library. Not only do they trace the genesis of certain medals commemorating historical achievements in our War of Independence, but they also disclose the active role which distinguish figures, such as Franklin and Jefferson, played in their inception. that of Mme Récamier, which were used again during the short-lived Second Republic and at the beginning of the Third Republic around 1870. He was equally famous as a medalist, particularly for the medals commemorating notable events during the French Revolution. In the technical field he perfected a method of repoussé work which netted the goldsmith Biennais millions; and he gave to the printers the first idea of stereotyping (his daughter married one of the printing family of Didots). He died at Armentières in 1833. Of special interest to Americans are the seven medals by Dupré celebrating events and personages of the American Revolution. One cannot fail to admire the delicacy of sentiment and civilized principles of our early statesmen and Continental Congress; at the time when they were fighting desperately for life and liberty, they still had the impulse and time to signalize merit graciously. Congress had not yet proclaimed independence when in March of 1776 it ordered a gold medal to be struck and presented to General Washington for his achievement in forcing the evacuation of Boston. To make sure that the medal would be both beautiful and distinguished, our statesmen turned to the seat of culture and the arts. Paris, and enlisted the services of the three foremost medalists of the time, Benjamin Duvivier, Nicolas Marie Gatteaux, and Augustin Dupré. The capture of Stony Point, for instance, was memorialized by three medals, one by Duvivier to the French Colonel de Fleury, and two by Gatteaux to General Anthony Wayne and to Major John Stewart. Gatteaux also executed a medal to General Gates for his victory over General Burgoyne at Saratoga. Several years usually elapsed between Congressional authorization and the actual completion of the medal. For example the medal to General Washington, though the first to be voted by Congress, was not finished by Duvivier for various reasons until after that of Colonel de Fleury had been struck in 1780. Augustin Dupré, goldsmith and medalist, was born at St. Étienne (Loire) in 1748, the son of a shoemaker. St. Etienne was the seat of the royal factory of arms, and young Dupré found employment there, at the same time studying sculpture and metal chasing with Jacques Olanier. At the age of twenty he made his way to Paris to seek his fortune. His abilities as an engraver on metal soon attracted the attention of the Spanish Ambassador, through whose patronage he was able to set up his own studio. He executed numerous precious works in gold and silver, including a brooch still preserved in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and, many years later, a desk writing set for the Empress Maria Louisa. But he distinguished himself particularly by his beautiful work on sword hilts, and became adept as an engraver of dies for medals. He was appointed He was appointed Medalist of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, and assistant to Benjamin Duvivier, the chief engraver of the Mint. In 1791 he was winner of an open competition for designs of a new coinage ordered by the National Assembly, and as a result was appointed chief engraver of the Mint, replacing Duvivier. a post which he held until displaced by Napoleon in 1803. He designed about a score of coins, notably the gold twentyfranc piece with a Genius inscribing the Tables of the Law, the five-franc piece with Hercules surrounded by Liberty and Equality, and the fivecentime piece with the Head of Liberty based upon PROCEEDINGS OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, VOL. 101, No 6, DECEMBER, 1957 289 Augustin Dupré is generally rated as the most accomplished medalist of the three, an achievement which is substantiated by such splendid works as the Libertas Americana, the Diplomatic Medal, CARL ZIGROSSER and those to Franklin, General Morgan, and John Paul Jones. Even during his lifetime his reputation was high. Thomas Jefferson, as Secretary of State, wrote to William Short, Chargé d'Affaires at Paris, on April 30, 1790: "Duvivier and Dupré seem to be the best workmen; perhaps the last is the best of the two." It is gratifying, therefore, that two important collections of his work are preserved in this country. Both originally came from the artist's personal collection, and are rich in rare and unique items. In 1888 from Paris, presumably from the son, A. Narcisse Dupré, or his estate, the Boston Public Library acquired for its "Green Collection of Frankliniana" a group of about twenty-six works, chiefly published medals, original dies, and working proofs in soft metal or plaster. Of special importance are the matrix and soft metal proof of a small medallion bust of Franklin, presumably unpublished, a soft metal proof of a Franklin seal, the preliminary sketch in pencil for the Franklin medal of 1784, a wax sketch of the Battle of Cowpens, the two damaged dies for the obverse and reverse of the rare Diplomatic Medal, and the preliminary enlarged sketch of the bust of John Paul Jones in soft metal, bronzed. The group of twenty items acquired by the American Philosophical Society in 1954 from the estate of Dupré's grandson, Augustin Narcisse Dupré, is richer in drawings, containing eleven as compared with one drawing in Boston. There are no published medals (which are relatively common), but there are soft metal proofs of the reverse of the Morgan medal and of the Diplomatic Medal (that is to say, the Great Seal of the United States). Of particular significance are a wax sketch of a spread eagle and a spirited pen drawing of the same subject, possibly related to the Diplomatic Medal, pencil sketches of both sides of the Morgan medal, an important preliminary pencil drawing for the reverse of Libertas Americana, and three drawings in pencil or ink for the reverse of the Franklin medal. Two drawings, labeled as a project for Lafayette, present a problem. They might be portrait studies of Lafayette, since the physiognomy is vaguely similar, but no such medal by Dupré is known. Or they might be preliminary sketches for the figure of General Morgan, since the pose is similar to that of the preliminary sketch of the medal. But the probability is that they do not refer to either subject, since the costume, particularly the plumed hat and hunting (?) boots do not correspond to any known military costume of the American Revolution. There are also two dies listed as variant studies [PROC. AMER. PHIL. SOC. for the Morgan medal. They obviously are not American at all, for one bears a coat of arms with fleur-de-lis and the other one a double-headed eagle. It has not been possible to identify these scenes relating to a review of troops by high command. The fact that the dies had remained in Dupré's possession leads one to suspect that they were either unpublished or rejected because of some flaw (these have slight cracks), since the dies or matrices of official medals were carefully guarded at the Mint or some other government treasury. Another interesting drawing is a sketch for a Washington medal, showing that Dupré perhaps also competed for the commission awarded to Duvivier. The theme is a classical conceit so fashionable at the end of the eighteenth century: Washington in the guise of Cincinnatus on his farm being urged to take up arms for his country. With such a wealth of pictorial and documentary material available, it is possible to reconstruct some of the preliminary steps in the production of Dupré's famous medals. Benjamin Franklin was in Paris from December, 1776, to July, 1785, first as Commissioner, then as Minister Plenipotentiary, and at all times tireless and able propagandist for the American cause. the American cause. Among his many duties, he undertook the negotiations for commissioning the medals authorized by Congress to commemorate the three heroes of the Battle of Stony Point, Colonel de Fleury, Major Stewart, and General Wayne. On March 4, 1780, Franklin wrote from Passy to Samuel Huntington, President of Congress: Agreeably to the order of Congress, I have employed one of the best artists here [Duvivier] in cutting the dies for the medal intended for M. de Fleury. The price of such work is beyond my expectation, being one thousand livres [approx. $200.] for each die I shall try if it is not possible to have the others done cheaper.... As it turned out, his hopes for a cheaper price were in vain; the average price for the succeeding matrices was 1,200 livres. Only one medal, that for de Fleury, was actually completed during Franklin's tenure but, meanwhile, Franklin had an idea for another medal which eventually became Dupré's Libertas Americana. On March 4, 1782, he wrote from Passy to Robert Livingston, Secretary for Foreign Affairs: ... This puts me in mind of a medal I have had a mind to strike since the late great event you gave me 1 Unless otherwise noted, all quotations are from J F. Loubat, The medallic history of the U. S. A., New York, 1878. VOL. 101, NO. 6, 1957] MEDALLIC SKETCHES OF AUGUSTIN DUPRÉ On August 12 he wrote to the same: Your approbation of my idea of a medal to perpetuate the memory of the Yorktown and Saratoga victories gives me great pleasure, and encourages me to have it struck. Characteristically, Franklin sought advice from scholars and artists to clarify the concept and give to the symbolism the proper classical authority. Sir William Jones, who later went to India to become a renowned orientalist, furnished the quotation from Horace, Book III, Ode IV: NON SINE DIIS ANIMOSUS INFANS (the Courageous Child aided by the Gods). A later letter by Franklin to Jones, dated Passy March 17, 1783, bears witness. to this: The engraving of my medal, which you know was projected before the peace, is but just finished. None are yet struck in hard metal, but will be in a few days. In the meantime, having this good opportunity by Mr. Penn, I send you one of the épreuves. You will see that I have profited by some of your ideas, and adopted Unless otherwise noted, all sketches are by Dupré. the mottos you were so kind as to furnish (Smyth, 9: 24-25). Franklin also discussed the project with members. of the Academy of Painting and Sculpture, and perhaps asked one of them, E. A. Gibelin, to project his verbal idea into visual terms. There exists just such a drawing by Gibelin (fig. 2, formerly in the collection of Charles Saunier and now in the Musée de Blérancourt) which might be considered a first thought for the finished conception. The role of France has been changed from passive nurse to active defender against the aggression of a leopard with a crown (later suppressed) symbolizing Great Britain. The cradle is still of the usual type; later it was transformed into a shield to show that the child was nursed in war. The actual execution of the medal was entrusted to Franklin's friend, Augustin Dupré. There is a pencil sketch by him, at the American Philosophical Society, of the design which became the re verse of the medal Libertas Americana. The composition of the drawing and the medal is substantially the same, except for one modification: the tail of the leopard is erect in the drawing, whereas on the medal it is between its legs, or in heraldic parlance "tail coward." Curiously enough, Gibelin had drawn suggestions of a tail up and down, but had inked only the tail between the legs. of Dupré's most inspired creations-a Head of The design for the obverse of the medal was one Liberty with flowing tresses. It was copiedthough crudely-for the Liberty Head used on CARL ZIGROSSER FIG. 11. Proof in soft metal of a small medallion. Diameter inch. Boston Public Library. a striking portrait bust of Franklin. The original drawing for the bust in the Boston Public Library is dated 1783. It could be that it and the finished medal represent a portrait from life, and thus another type of Franklin physiognomy. The Houdon bust, which it might be said to resemble, was made in 1778 and must have been familiar to Dupré, but it is easily possible that Dupré, through his long friendship and association with Franklin, would have had opportunity to study his features and model a portrait, in spite of Franklin's well-known reluctance to sit for portraits. After Franklin's departure from Paris, Dupré executed another version of the Franklin medal with the date 1786. The portrait bust remained the same on the obverse; but for the reverse a simple oak wreath and inscription was substituted for the allegorical figure. In Boston there is also a soft metal proof of a seemingly unrecorded portrait medal of Franklin. It is quite small, being 13 inch in diameter (fig. 11). It is not known whether this is a preliminary study for the larger medal or a project for a coin or tiny medal. The first of the official medals commissioned by Congress and executed by Dupré was that for General Greene to celebrate his victory at Eutaw Springs. There are no preliminary sketches for this either in Boston or Philadelphia; but Loubat in his Medallic History of the United States, p. xvi, quotes the original contract for it, the text of which he had obtained from Narcisse Dupré. It was negotiated by Colonel Humphreys, Secretary of the Embassy, after the departure of Franklin: I, the undersigned, Augustin Dupré, engraver of medals and medalist of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture, bind myself to Colonel Humphreys to engrave the medal representing the portrait of General Greene. On the reverse, Victory treading [PROC. AMER. PHIL. SOC. under her feet broken arms, with a legend and the exergue [the lettering below the picture], and I hold myself responsible for any breakage of the dies up to twenty-four medals, and bind myself to furnish one at my own expense (the diameter of the medal to be twenty-four lignes). All on the following conditions: That for the two engraved dies of the said medal shall be paid me the sum of two thousand four hundred livres, on delivery of the two dies after the twenty-four medals which the Colonel desires have been struck. Done in duplicate between us, in Paris, this nineteenth of November, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-five (1785). D. Humphreys. Dupré. Earlier in the year the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres had been requested to furnish suggestions and Latin inscriptions for this and other American medals by Duvivier and Gatteaux. Upon the advice of Abbé Barthélémy, the Keeper of the King's Medals, Colonel Humphreys had written to the Academy requesting this service. With charming modesty he confessed that because he lacked the ability to write polished French, he had asked his old friend and comrade in arms, Marquis de Lafayette, to translate the letter for him. The Academy appointed a committee to study the problem and eventually submitted a set of specifications. The legend of the reverse was to read: SALUS PROVINCIARUM AUSTRALIUM (the Safety of the Southern Provinces). After some lengthy deliberations, it was decided to change the motto to SALUS REGIONUM AUSTRALIUM (the Safety of the Southern Regions), as more benefiting a free and independent state. It so appears on the finished medal completed early in 1787. Thomas Jefferson referred to this medal in his letter to John Jay, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, from Paris February 14, 1787: Mr. Morris, during his office, being authorized to have the medals and swords executed, which had been ordered by Congress, he authorized Colonel Humphreys to take measures here for the execution. Colonel Humphreys did so, and the swords were finished in time for him to carry them. The medals, not being finished, he desired me to attend to them. The workman who was to make that of General Greene brought me yesterday the medal in gold, 23 in copper and the die. Mr. Short, during my absence, will avail himself of the first occasion which shall offer of forwarding the medals to you. I must beg leave, through you, to ask the pleasure of Congress as to the number they would choose to have struck. Perhaps they might be willing to deposit one of each person in every college of the U.S. Perhaps they might choose to give a series of them to each of the VOL. 101, NO. 6, 1957] MEDALLIC SKETCHES OF AUGUSTIN DUPRÉ crowned heads of Europe, which would be an acceptable present to them. They will be pleased to decide. In the meantime I have sealed up the die, and shall retain it till I am honoured with their orders as to this medal, and the others also, when they shall be finished. Jefferson's letter was referred to Congress, which in turn asked Mr. Jay to make a report to it, as follows, from the Office of Foreign Affairs, July 11, 1787: . . . As these medals were directed to be struck in order to signalize and commemorate certain interesting events and conspicuous characters, the distribution of them should in his opinion be such as may best conduce to that end. He therefore thinks that both of Mr. Jefferson's hints should be improved, to wit, that a series of these medals should be presented to each of the crowned heads in Europe, and that one of each set be deposited in each of the American colleges. He presumes that Mr. Jefferson does not mean that any should be presented to the King of Great Britain, for it would not be delicate; nor that by crowned heads he meant to exclude free states from the compliment, for to make discriminations would give offense. . . . It might be more magnificent to give gold medals to sovereigns, silver ones to distinguished persons, and copper ones to colleges: but, in his opinion, the nature of the American Governments, as well as the state of their finance, will apologize for their declining the expense. All which is submitted to the wisdom of Congress. It is doubtful whether this project was ever carried out. The deliberations of the Academy of Inscriptions and—what was undoubtedly more decisivethe authorization of the U. S. Treasury regarding American medals dragged on from 1785 to 1789. Colonel Humphreys, writing from London, January 30, 1786, "Now that there is no obstacle to commencing the medal for General Washington, since Houdon's return," asks Jefferson to offer the commission to Duvivier, to whom it had first been proposed. "If he should not choose it, we must let it rest until Dupré shall have finished General Greene's." Duvivier did undertake the commission; and it is his best medal. Early in January of 1789 Jefferson received his orders for a number of medals, and on February 13 of that year he wrote to Dupré: Mr. Jefferson has the honour to send to M. Dupré the devices for the medals for General Morgan and Rear-Admiral Paul Jones, which he has just received from the Academy of Belles-Lettres, and the making of which he proposes to Mr. Dupré, the latter to be responsible for the success of the dies up to the strik ing of three hundred and fifty of each medal in gold, silver, or bronze, and to furnish proofs in tin at the end of the month of March next, so that the medals may all be struck before the 15th of April. He begs him to kindly mention the conditions on which he will undertake them, and Mr. Jefferson will have the honour to reply on receipt of them. Dupré must have answered this letter immediately, asking for more time and demanding a higher price for the Jones medal (the price for the Morgan medal evidently had already been agreed upon). On February 15, 1789, Jefferson wrote with icy politeness to Dupré as follows: Mr. Jefferson has the honour to observe to M. Dupré that he pays only twenty-four hundred livres to M. Duvivier or to M. Gatteaux for medals which measure twenty-four lignes, that he paid the same sum to M. Dupré himself for that of General Greene, and that recently M. Dupré asked no higher price for that of General Morgan. Mr. Jefferson cannot, therefore, consent to give more. For that sum he would expect to have the best work of M. Dupré and not that of inferior artists. As regards time, perhaps it may be possible to prolong it somewhat in regard to the medal for Admiral Paul Jones, that officer being at present in Europe. Mr. Jefferson will have the honour to await M. Dupré's answer, and will be happy to conclude this arrangement with him. |