To the Glory of the Armies of Justice and Liberty
Plaquette
ca. 1918 (made)
ca. 1918 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
Commissioned by the French State Legastelois' medal promotes the concept of victory for France through unity with the Allies. The classically-draped, idealised female embodying the spirit of France above a modern battle scene on the obverse and the presence of the Lion, traditionally associated with Hercules, courage and warlike activity on the reverse, continue the medallic convention of using imagery derived from classical sources to lend authority to a twentieth-century medal. The fusion of such imagery and the lofty intention of the phrase "To the Armies of Justice and Liberty' place the medal clearly in the idealised world of vast forces overcoming evil, rather than in the mus and horror experienced by individuals in the reality of trench warfare being waged at this stage of the Great War.
Legastelois (1855-1931) was a prolific medallist and sculptor, and pupil of Levasseur, Emile Carlier and the innovative medallist, Louis Oscar Roty. He exhibited and was awarded prices at numerous Paris Salons and produced medals commemorating First World War generals, heroes and battles.
Legastelois (1855-1931) was a prolific medallist and sculptor, and pupil of Levasseur, Emile Carlier and the innovative medallist, Louis Oscar Roty. He exhibited and was awarded prices at numerous Paris Salons and produced medals commemorating First World War generals, heroes and battles.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | To the Glory of the Armies of Justice and Liberty (generic title) |
Materials and techniques | Struck bronze |
Brief description | To the Glory of the Armies of Justice and Liberty, struck bronze, by Jules Prosper Legastelois, French, 20th century, about 1918. |
Physical description | Obverse: a winged female Victory, holding a fluttering banner, appears above a battle scene showing France with her allies in the trenches during World War I. Legend. Reverse: A crowing French cockerel, surrounded by wreaths of oak and laurel leaves, stands in front of the allies' flags. The cockerel struts above a blank cartouche which has a lion's head and paws at the bottom. Signed. |
Dimensions |
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Marks and inscriptions |
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Object history | Given by Professor J. Hull Grundy and Mrs. Ann Hull Grundy, in 1979. |
Subjects depicted | |
Summary | Commissioned by the French State Legastelois' medal promotes the concept of victory for France through unity with the Allies. The classically-draped, idealised female embodying the spirit of France above a modern battle scene on the obverse and the presence of the Lion, traditionally associated with Hercules, courage and warlike activity on the reverse, continue the medallic convention of using imagery derived from classical sources to lend authority to a twentieth-century medal. The fusion of such imagery and the lofty intention of the phrase "To the Armies of Justice and Liberty' place the medal clearly in the idealised world of vast forces overcoming evil, rather than in the mus and horror experienced by individuals in the reality of trench warfare being waged at this stage of the Great War. Legastelois (1855-1931) was a prolific medallist and sculptor, and pupil of Levasseur, Emile Carlier and the innovative medallist, Louis Oscar Roty. He exhibited and was awarded prices at numerous Paris Salons and produced medals commemorating First World War generals, heroes and battles. |
Bibliographic references |
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Collection | |
Accession number | A.11-1979 |
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Record created | June 24, 2009 |
Record URL |
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