porphyrogenita Posted September 18 · Member Share Posted September 18 Did you know that French artist Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), the guy who painted Liberty Leading the People (as seen below)... ...also drew some studies of ancient coins? They're super cool to look at and I found images online for everyone's viewing pleasure! According to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Delacroix developed his style of modeling by studying Greek and Roman coins in the collections of his friends Louis Auguste Schwiter and P. L. J. Casimir, duc de Blacas." (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/336618?exhibitionId={794db332-ad42-4bb9-b81e-2d1d602d947f}&%3Boid=336618&%3Bpkgids=519&%3Bpg=0&%3Brpp=100&%3Bpos=19&%3Bft=*&offset=100) 19 5 1 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Anthos Posted September 18 · Member Share Posted September 18 Those are remarkable, thank you! Completely outclasses the drawings typical of late 19th century references (Sambon, et al). ~ Peter 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuntbedruv Posted September 19 · Member Share Posted September 19 16 hours ago, porphyrogenita said: Did you know that French artist Eugène Delacroix (1798-1863), the guy who painted Liberty Leading the People (as seen below)... ...also drew some studies of ancient coins? They're super cool to look at and I found images online for everyone's viewing pleasure! According to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, "Delacroix developed his style of modeling by studying Greek and Roman coins in the collections of his friends Louis Auguste Schwiter and P. L. J. Casimir, duc de Blacas." (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/336618?exhibitionId={794db332-ad42-4bb9-b81e-2d1d602d947f}&%3Boid=336618&%3Bpkgids=519&%3Bpg=0&%3Brpp=100&%3Bpos=19&%3Bft=*&offset=100) Now, here's the question. Can any of the coins in the drawings be tracked down today? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Kowsky Posted September 19 · Member Share Posted September 19 2 hours ago, wuntbedruv said: Now, here's the question. Can any of the coins in the drawings be tracked down today? I really doubt that 🤔. These are quick sketches not accurate line drawings 😉. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wuntbedruv Posted September 19 · Member Share Posted September 19 23 minutes ago, Al Kowsky said: I really doubt that 🤔. These are quick sketches not accurate line drawings 😉. I don't. I have a friend who owns an Anglo-Saxon coin illustrated on one of the plates in William Camden's 18th century work 'Britannia'. Those illustrations are more basic than these and the coin is still able to be definitively attributed, albeit it has a distinctive chip on one edge. Given that the coins Delacroix illustrated belonged to known, named collectors, I don't think it is at all beyond reasonable expectation that if one were able to trace the sale of their coins via auction catalogues or museums (if they ended up there) there is a possibility that some of the completely illustrated coins could be matched up. At least one has a big break on its flan, a useful feature for this purpose. I won't dismiss the possibility out of hand until the hypothesis is tested 🙂 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientCoinnoisseur Posted September 19 · Member Share Posted September 19 On ACSearch I have 0 matches for Schwiter, but 10 for Casimir: https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?term=casimir&category=1&lot=&date_from=&date_to=&thesaurus=1&images=1&en=1&de=1&fr=1&it=1&es=1&ot=1¤cy=usd&order=3 Maybe more coins can be tracked down if in museums 🙂 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman Collector Posted September 19 · Patron Share Posted September 19 That's really interesting! Thanks for sharing, @porphyrogenita! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nikodeimos Posted September 19 · Member Share Posted September 19 51 Gallery sold one or two of these a couple years back. Still very much regret not buying one. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porphyrogenita Posted September 19 · Member Author Share Posted September 19 Update with more information: I think the collection of P. L. J. Casimir, duc de Blacas is owned by the British Museum now! https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG8484 (the coins can be seen once you scroll past the amulets and bowls and such) I also found an article from JSTOR covering the acquisition of the collection by the museum in 1868: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42680452 (I would directly link the PDF for download but it has my IP address on it) Points to anyone who matches up the coins in the drawings with those in the collection! :)) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AncientCoinnoisseur Posted September 20 · Member Share Posted September 20 12 hours ago, porphyrogenita said: Update with more information: I think the collection of P. L. J. Casimir, duc de Blacas is owned by the British Museum now! https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/term/BIOG8484 (the coins can be seen once you scroll past the amulets and bowls and such) I also found an article from JSTOR covering the acquisition of the collection by the museum in 1868: https://www.jstor.org/stable/42680452 (I would directly link the PDF for download but it has my IP address on it) Points to anyone who matches up the coins in the drawings with those in the collection! :)) Thank you for finding these! They seem mostly Roman, while Delacroix drew mainly Greek, but once I come back home I’ll see if I can match something! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.