French Art Nouveau bronze medal 'Orphée' by Lucien Coudray
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1900
This bronze medal, created by the French sculptor Marie Alexandre Lucien Coudray (1864–1932), is a characteristic example of the French Art Nouveau style. The medal, which measures 6.8 cm in diameter, was struck at the Monnaie de Paris in 1899.
The obverse features the head of Orpheus in a three-quarter profile, adorned with flowing hair and laurel branches, while he holds a lyre. The name 'LCOUDRAY' is inscribed in the field to the right. The reverse depicts a seated winged genius holding a writing implement, poised above an empty dedication cartouche. The scene is framed by symbolic elements, including laurel, a violin with a bow, and a scroll of music. The medal's edge bears the mark 'Bronze' alongside a cornucopia, the hallmark of the Monnaie de Paris for bronze pieces struck after 1880.
This particular design was derived from Coudray's 1893 Premier Grand Prix de Rome winning entry. Such medals were produced in various sizes and materials and were frequently used as commemorative prize items with personalized dedications.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Diameter
- 6.8 cm
- Material
- bronze
Technical characteristics
- Hallmark
- cornucopia
Design
- Obverse
- Orpheus in three-quarter profile with laurel and lyre
- Reverse
- Winged genius with violin, bow, laurel, and blank dedication cartouche
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
- Maker named in listing
- Lucien Coudray
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.