Alphonse Lamartine Medallion

Alphonse de Lamartine Medallion. 1848. Two-sided medallion in cast metal.

Cast- and stamped-metal medallions were among the most common ways of expressing enthusiasm for popular (and often semi-popular) figures, whether in the realms of politics, culture, or the sciences. This small (13/16" diameter) medallion expresses solidarity with the new provisional government in the wake of the 1848 Revolution, united under the leadership of the Romanticist poet-turned Liberal politician Alphonse de Lamartine, who had announced the Republic, served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, and effectively ran the government for several weeks. In fact the medallion was likely struck largely with the purpose of further legitimizing the new government in the face of reactionary opposition. (See the other medallion in the Revenant Archive commemorating the 1848 Revolution itself, as well as the earlier one for the liberal poet/songwriter Béranger.) The front contains the poet's face in profile and his name; the back declares the solidarity of leading leftist activist-politicians including Louis Blanc, Ledru-Rollin, and Arago. As shown by its worn and dinged-up surface, this particular medallion was certainly regularly worn by somebody actively involved with the left, probably at demonstrations and meetings of political clubs.