Oprichting der Colonne Departementale, ter ere van de drie consuls 1800

This bronze medal, commemorating the founding of a liberty column, was designed by Nicolas Marie Gatteaux. Struck from bronze, the medal showcases the crisp detail achievable through die casting. It is a process involving the creation of a mold, into which molten bronze is injected. This method allowed for the relatively efficient production of multiples. The choice of bronze lends the medal a sense of historical gravitas. Bronze production has been used to create tools, weapons, and art for millennia. The medal is not merely a symbol of political power, but an object embedded in the social and economic history of its time. It speaks to the rise of industrial production, and the skilled labor necessary to sustain it. Ultimately, this medal, like many others, prompts us to consider the relationship between art, craft, and the forces of production that shape them.