Richard II, from the English Monarchs series 1731 - 1732

Curator: Jean Dassier crafted this bronze medal around 1731-32, part of his English Monarchs series, which now resides here at the Met. Editor: It has the feel of holding a lost memory, doesn’t it? Something discovered in an attic trunk—the solemn profile peering out from the darkened bronze. Curator: Absolutely. Dassier was Swiss, but he understood how to tap into British historical narratives. Medals like these were mass produced; casting allowed for dissemination of power and prestige beyond paintings. We can trace how such objects acted as markers of status and circulated ideas about monarchy. Editor: Status indeed. All that tiny detail! Look at the crown, the ermine, the chain of office. He must have had an amazing eye and incredible patience to work with metal in this scale. The portrait itself is... wistful. A king, but somehow a vulnerable one. Curator: Richard II’s reign was indeed tumultuous. Dassier and his workshop were incredibly strategic; using bronze—a relatively inexpensive material—allowed a wider segment of the population to own and display a piece of history, reinforcing notions of lineage and succession. These weren't just portraits; they were political objects. Editor: Political indeed! I'm always struck by how objects transform into storytelling devices. The bronze carries so much weight, but the story is richer when you think about where this piece traveled. What homes it might have sat in, conversations it ignited, the ways that a mass produced king took on lives of their own. It makes the piece come alive. Curator: Yes, tracking its movement reveals aspects about consumption habits and popular fascination. That material presence you describe – seeing that history embedded into each bronze copy – invites engagement. Editor: You’ve made me see the humble metal disc with completely different eyes! I wonder about who held it, where, and how each owner reimagined its implicit story of crown and country. Curator: Exactly—a powerful effect indeed.