Beschreibung:

George Washington Inaugural Centennial Bronze Medal, 1889, designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens Bust of George Washington (after Houdon) left, fasces behind head, signed in two lines beneath bust: Philip Martiny modeler design and / copyright by Augustus Saint-Gaudens; the reverse with an eagle with spread wings, a shield emblazoned on its chest, perched above an inscription; a shield with the arms of New York City lower left. 4 1/2 in. diam., 9 x 9 in. (frame). Note: Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) was lauded during his lifetime as America's greatest sculptor. Although Saint-Gaudens had long been interested in the medallic art, this was his first official medallic commission. It was produced for the 100th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration in1789, as a souvenir to sell to the public. The event has been considered by some as America's first public holiday; for the event in New York, famed architect Stanford White constructed a triumphal arch of wood and stucco that spanned Fifth Avenue (it was so popular that White was commissioned to 're-create' it in marble at the base of Fifth Avenue in Washington Square Park). The medal was designed by Saint-Gaudens but, as was his habit, he left the actual modeling to one of his assistants, in this case Philip Martiny In his quest for perfection, Saint-Gaudens made constant changes to the working models, profoundly frustrating Martiny and the Centennial Committee, who were afraid that the medal would not be produced in time for the celebrations. Ultimately models were sent to Gorham Manufacturing Company which cast the medals. Casting (as opposed to striking) was an unusual choice, but looked back to the medals of the Renaissance which Saint-Gaudens greatly admired. So much so that the obverse of this medal borrows directly from Pisanello's great medal of King Alfonso I of Naples which is dated 1449. The release of the Washington medal met with enormous critical approval, and the art critic Richard Watson Gilder (admittedly a friend of Saint-Gaudens)hailed it as "the first medal of real artistic value made in this country," this praise has been echoed ever since. It is of some interest that the two examples of this medal given to the Metropolitan Museum of Art by the Museum's president Henry Marquand in 1890, were the first examples of work by Saint-Gaudens to enter the Metropolitan's collections. Property from Hawkins/Moore Collection