FRANCE. Jean Jacques Rousseau Uniface Oval Bronze Portrait Medal, ND (ca. 1778). ALMOST UNCIRCULATED.Unsigned. Dimensions: 60mm x 48mm. Weight: 48.3 g. Obverse: Bust of Rousseau in his favored Armenian dress facing right; anepigraphic. Rousseau was a philosopher and writer who laid much of the groundwork for the Enlightenment era. After a somewhat itinerant childhood and young adulthood, he began studying philosophy, mathematics and music in his mid-twenties. He continued to wander, absorbing ideas and culture and music. He befriended Diderot, their discussions helping to form Rousseaus writings and philosophy. His thinly-veiled writings brought condemnation from secular and religious sources, resulting in years as a fugitive before returning to France to live out his final years. He was also a contemporary friend and critic of Voltaire - both dying in 1778. <p>This medal offers deep umber color on its stippled surfaces, with dark sepia and ruddy undertones highlighting design features and some field areas. A variant of this medal is also known with Rousseaus name inscribed above and the date "1792" below the bust. Attractive and rare.Margolis had a few rather overt interests in his collecting of medallic art. One such theme was that of medals pertaining to mans earliest pursuits to conquer the heavens in the form of ballooning. The European exploits of the late 18th century are contained here across many different country categories. Also quite noticeable was his interest in the medallic art of Jewish engravers, such as Jakob Abraham and his son, Abraham Abramson, among numerous others. Across this selection of medals, these themes and topics will become obvious, adding further dimensions to the already intense focus with which Margolis pursued his collecting.From the Richard Margolis Collection.
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