Medal to Captain Duncan N. Ingraham 1854

This 4-inch diameter medal commemorating Captain Duncan N. Ingraham was created by Seth Eastman, using an unknown medium. The medal presents a relief of ships at sea, rendered in monochromatic brown tones. The composition is structured around the contrast between the smooth, reflective surface of the medal and the detailed, raised imagery. This juxtaposition invites tactile as well as visual engagement. Eastman employs a shallow depth of field, compressing the spatial relationships between the ships and the sky. This technique draws the viewer's eye across the surface, emphasizing the medal's flatness and objecthood. Structurally, the medal can be understood as a signifier of national pride and naval power. The ships, meticulously rendered, serve as symbols of American maritime strength and dominance. The inscription, arranged in a circular pattern, frames the central image and reinforces the medal's symbolic function as a commemorative object. The medal's circular form may challenge fixed meanings, inviting viewers to question established hierarchies of power and representation.