0 MEDALLIC PORTRAITURE OF' ANTOINE LAURENT LAVOISIER

DENIS I. DUVEEN Duveen Soap Corporation, Long Island City, New York HERBERT S. KLICKSTEIN University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

DESPITE the fact that only one authentic portrait of Antoine Laurent Lavoisier exists, by Jacques Louis David (1748-1825), there are a considerable number of other iconographic sources available, particularly medals. There are at least some 23 medallic portraits of Lavoisier.' These medals provide not only a like-

i ness of Lavoisier but usually a summation of his ; accomplishments in a few words or by means of some

derorative device. "Held in the hand, they provide not only information but also the aesthetic pleasure of watching the interplay of light and shadow when the specimen is tilted in various dire~tions."~

I t is not generally known that f o x Lavoisier medals

For full details see the following sources: STORER, H. R., "Medicina in Kummis," Boston, 1931, pp. 2924; "Catalogue of Printed Workshy and Memorabilia. of Antoine Laurent Lavoisier,

(F 7) Bron=e Medal, 1802, by Augurtin Dupri (1748-1833). French Medalist. 41 mm.

1743-1794. . . Exhihited at the Grolier Club," New York, 1952, pp. 72-0 (prepared by DUVEEN, D. I., AND H. S. KLICXETEIN);

obverse: B , , x ~ in to below. Du,,rg. R ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ : L~~ ac;cncea e1 DUVEEN, D. I., AND H. S. KLICKSTEIN, "An Ironovaphv of An- ia pntric pleurcnt cei iuustre savant uiciimc dea fureurs ,irotutionnoirca. toine Laurent Lavoisier, 1743-1794" (in ~re~aration) . ~ u m l 1%; a iriol ce monument da icconnaiasance ?An 10. PR.<NDT& W., .I. CHEM. EI)IIC., 26,122-5 (1949).

(No Number) Bronze Medal. 1948, by AbeL Laflew, Contemporary French Medalist. 68 mm

308

JUNE, 1954

(N798) BronseMedal.Undated, by Armand Au(rustoCaqu& (1793-1881). French Medalist, 50 mm.

Obverse: Head in profile t o left: below, Caw6 I.; inseri~tion: Loursnl Louoiaier. Reverae: in oak wreath, NL d Poris 1748. Mernbre del'dcadhnie dea Sciencm 1768. Fsrmier O6n6rol l 7 R B Adminislrate!n d e la Coissc #El- compt~ 1788. Mort 1794.

are st,ill available and may he purchased from the Administration des Monnaies et MBdailles in Paris a t a very nominal price.s These four medals are described in their captions; of special interest is the Lafleur medal struck in 1948 to commemorate the 200th anniversary

J Numbers given for the medals me taken from the "Catalogue des MBdailles en vente." In ordering medals write to Bureau de Vente B I'HAtel des Monnni~s, I I , Quai de Conti, Paris (Vie).

(N 708) Bronze Medal, 1821, by Armand Auguste Caq& (1793-1881). French Medalist. 41 mm.

Obverae: Bust in ,,rofiie to left: below. CaouLf.: insoriotion: A. Loursnl R ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ : - N L d pariaen M . D C C . X ~ I I I . ' M O , ~ in M . D C C . X C I V .

Qaleric Mllallipue des Cronda Homnrca Frnnpois. 1881.

of Lavoisier's birth.& Bronze is the usual metal em- ployed for the medals, although silver and gold may he emvloved if reauested.

4 The Lavoisier hicentenary exhibition which was held in Pwis from November, 1943, to January, 1944, during the Naei occupation is described by VAN KWOSTER, H. S., J . C ~ M . E ~ u c . , 23, 210-12 (1946). The medal to commemorate the event was issued in 1948, some five years later, with the return of peace and the availability of metah. For the mke of the bronze the Germans removed and destroyed, in Paris, the well known statue of Lavoisier, as well as the beautiful bas-reliefs in the pedestal. See note by OESPER, R. E., J. CHEM. EDUC., 24 (1947), frontispiece; .I. CHEM. EDUC., 11, 211-16 (1934). A brochure was issued at the bioentenary exhibition, "Le Palais de la DBcouverte pr6sente une Exposition l'oocaaion du deux- ikme centmaire de T,avoiaiw," Paris, 1W3.