Obverse of medal by Pierre Turin bears a portrait of John Calvin.
Image: Benjamin Healley
Source: Museum Victoria
Treasures from Museum Victoria’s Numismatics Collection highlight two notable French anniversaries during July.
10 July is the 500th anniversary of the birth of the religious reformer John (Jean) Calvin. He is remembered in a medal made by the artist Pierre Turin in 1932. The medal, held in the museum's collection, portrays Calvin in profile on one side, and the dates and locations of Calvin's birth and death on the other.
Calvin was instrumental in the Protestant Reformation, a split within Christianity that began in the early 1500s in protest to perceived corruption of the Catholic Church. From the Reformation rose several major Christian denominations, including Anglican, Lutheran and Presbyterian faiths. Calvin’s writing and preaching united Christians across Europe who came to be known as Calvinists. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, Calvin led the Protestant movement until his death in 1564.
Another important French date this month is Bastille Day on 14 July, which commemorates the storming of the Bastille in 1789, considered the symbolic start of the French Revolution. Bastille Day is celebrated annually with a parade along the Champs-Élysées in Paris and other festivities across France and in French communities around the world. In 1789, artist Bertrand Andrieu created a medal recording the siege of the Bastille. Museum Victoria holds a rare cast of this precious 220-year-old medal.
Although many people think of medals as military or sporting awards, they have been created since mediaeval times to commemorate historic events. Paris has been a centre for medal-making since the 18th century and French artisans are among the world’s most adventurous and skilled medallists. These miniature sculptural masterpieces often follow a convention; one face (the obverse) bears a physical portrait, the other (the reverse) represents the subject’s achievements or significance.
Visitors to Melbourne Museum can see more French medals in the cases along the balcony. The current display includes a gold medal from the 1867 Universal Exhibition in Paris and three art medals. The museum’s collection includes around 830 French medals, including a portrait series of famous scientists, philosophers, artists and political leaders, plus a stunning collection of Art Nouveau and Art Deco medals.