Memory of Gustavus III, King of Sweden
- Object:
- Place of origin:
Birmingham, England (made)
- Date:
- Artist/Maker:
Matthew Boulton, born 1728 - died 1809 (manufacturer)
Küchler, Conrad Heinrich, born 1735 - died 1810 (designer)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Museum number:
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 118e, case 2
- Download image
Object type
This medal was struck in memory of Gustaf III, King of Sweden (born 1746; reigned 1771-1792). The obverse shows the bust in profile to the right of the King, wearing armour and a fur-lined mantle, with the abbreviated Latin inscription which can be translated as 'Gustaf III by the Grace of God King of Sweden'. The reverse shows a rectangular sarcophagus surmounted by a crowned vase on which rays from a constellation descend. On the right is the figure of Fame, and behind her symbols of Peace. On the left a naked boy points to the scene of Gustaf's assassination depicted on the front of the sarcophagus.
People
Gustaf III was a dominant, indeed autocratic, ruler, whose political actions became increasingly unpopular among the Swedish nobility. A conspiracy to murder him was hatched by a group of aristocrats in 1792. At a fancy dress ball held at the Royal Opera in Stockholm on 16 March 1792, J.J. Anckarström shot the King in the back. The wound was fatal, and Gustaf died on 29 March.
People
Conrad Heinrich Küchler (active 1763-1821) worked for Matthew Boulton (1728-1807), the Birmingham industrialist and entrepreneur. Küchler was Belgian by birth, but settled in Britain in about 1790, and worked for Boulton at the Soho Mint until about 1806.
Physical description
The obverse shows the bust in profile to the right of the King, wearing armour and a fur-lined mantle, with the abbreviated Latin inscription which can be translated as 'Gustaf III by the Grace of God King of Sweden'. The reverse shows a rectangular sarcophagus surmounted by a crowned vase on which rays from a constellation descend. On the right is the figure of Fame, and behind her symbols of Peace. On the left a naked boy points to the scene of Gustaf's assassination depicted on the front of the sarcophagus.
Place of Origin
Birmingham, England (made)
Date
1793 (made)
Artist/maker
Matthew Boulton, born 1728 - died 1809 (manufacturer)
Küchler, Conrad Heinrich, born 1735 - died 1810 (designer)
Materials and Techniques
Bronze
Marks and inscriptions
With memorial inscription for Gustavus III, King of Sweden (1746-1792)
'GUSTAVUS. III. D : G. REX SVECIAE'
'TAM MARTE QUAM MERCURIO'
'HEU MALE PEREMPTUS'
'NATUS D.XXIIII JAN. MDCCXXXXVI. SUCC. D. XII. FEB. MDCCLXXI. TRUCID: D. XVI MART. MDCCXCII. OB. D. XXIX SUP. MENS. ET AN'
Dimensions
Height: 0.3 cm, Diameter: 5.6 cm
Object history note
Manufactured by Matthew Boulton (born in Birmingham, 1728, died there in 1809) at the Soho Mint, Birmingham; designed by Conrad Heinrich Küchler (active 1763-1821).
Given by Mrs Glinn.
Descriptive line
Memorial medal, bronze, for Gustavus III, King of Sweden (1771-1792), by Konrad Heinrich Küchler, Birmingham, England, 1793
Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)
List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum in the Years 1905 - 1908. In: List of Works of Art Acquired by the Victoria and Albert Museum, During the Year 1907, Arranged According to the Dates of Acquisition with Appendix and Indices. London: Printed for His Majesty's Stationery Office, by Eyre and Spottiswoode, Limited, 1909, p. 34
Labels and date
British Galleries:
Boulton's manufactory produced not only coins but also a series of medals. Some of the best were designed by the Swiss medallist Jean Pierre Droz (1746-1832) and the Dutch medallist Conrad Heinrich Küchler. One medal was made to commemorate Gustavus III, King of Sweden, who was assassinated in 1792. Two others marked Admiral Lord Nelson's great victories at The Battle of the Nile in 1795 and at Trafalgar in 1805. Boulton himself presented a cheaper version to everyone who had taken part in the battles. [27/03/2003]
Production Note
Manufactured by Matthew Boulton at the Soho Mint, Birmingham
Materials
Bronze
Subjects depicted
Men; Women; Boys; Death; Classicism; Kings; Fame; Allegory; Laurel wreath; Commemoration; Murder; Monarchs; Assassinations; Gustaf (III, King of Sweden)
Categories
Metalwork; Portraits; Royalty; Coins & Medals
Collection code
SCP
