The Sower thumbnail 1
The Sower thumbnail 2
Not currently on display at the V&A

The Sower

Plaquette
ca. 1905 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This plaquette called the Sower is made by René Baudichon, in 1905, in France.

The scene appears to be an allegory for death indicating that what is sown will be reaped. A male figure in relief strides to the right, holding a bag of seed suspended from his shoulder with his left hand and scattering seed from his right hand. In the foreground a scythe lies in a wheat field which has been partly harvested. At the left foreground wheat grows, in the middle distance the wheat has been tied in stooks and in the distant landscape graves marked by crosses are depicted.
Baudichon's choice of the doubel-sided plaquette format for this medal may have been influenced by the work of Oscar Roty (1846-1911), whose revival of the Renaissance plaquette allowed compositions of a more pictorial treatment than was possible within the format of the circular medal. This, together with his use of both faces was a major innovation and by the end of the 19th century the tradition of a circular format was broken.


Object details

Categories
Object type
TitleThe Sower (generic title)
Materials and techniques
Bronze struck
Brief description
Plaquette, the Sower, struck bronze, by René Baudichon, French, 20th century, about 1906.
Physical description
Obverse: landscape background with ploughed field in the foreground. A male figure in relief strides to the right, holding a bag of seed suspended from his shoulder with his left hand and scattering seed from his outstretched right hand. Signed.
Reverse: The scene appears to be an allegory for death indicating that what is sown will be reaped. In the foreground a scythe lies in a wheat field which has been partly harvested. At the left foreground wheat grows, in the middle distance the wheat has been tied in stooks and in the distant landscape graves marked by crosses are depicted. Monogram of a reversed capital letter R joined together with a capital B
Dimensions
  • Height: 6.37cm
  • Width: 42.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
'RENE BAUDICHON' (obverse)
Object history
Given by Professor J. Hull Grundy and Mrs. Ann Hull Grundy, in 1980.
Subjects depicted
Summary
This plaquette called the Sower is made by René Baudichon, in 1905, in France.

The scene appears to be an allegory for death indicating that what is sown will be reaped. A male figure in relief strides to the right, holding a bag of seed suspended from his shoulder with his left hand and scattering seed from his right hand. In the foreground a scythe lies in a wheat field which has been partly harvested. At the left foreground wheat grows, in the middle distance the wheat has been tied in stooks and in the distant landscape graves marked by crosses are depicted.
Baudichon's choice of the doubel-sided plaquette format for this medal may have been influenced by the work of Oscar Roty (1846-1911), whose revival of the Renaissance plaquette allowed compositions of a more pictorial treatment than was possible within the format of the circular medal. This, together with his use of both faces was a major innovation and by the end of the 19th century the tradition of a circular format was broken.
Bibliographic references
  • Forrer, L. Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, I, London, 1904, pp. 135-136, Vol VII p. 55
  • Jones, Mark. The Art of the Medal. London, 1979, pp. 122
Collection
Accession number
A.11-1980

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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