Medal of General Daniel Morgan 1770 - 1800

This bronze medal of General Daniel Morgan was designed by Augustin Dupré in the late 18th century, a time of revolutionary fervor. It embodies the complex relationship between the newly-formed United States and its self-image. The imagery is fascinating. We see General Morgan being crowned with a laurel wreath by a female figure who represents America. She is partly nude and adorned with feathers. This is a classical trope, but what does it mean to represent America as a half-naked woman, referencing indigenous cultures, bestowing honor on a uniformed general? The medal subtly comments on the social structures of its time. It was commissioned by the Continental Congress, an institution seeking to establish its legitimacy. By employing classical imagery, the medal attempts to place the American Revolution within a grand historical narrative, even while its representation of America reflects the cultural biases of its era. Understanding art like this requires us to dig into the archives, to examine the visual codes and cultural references that would have been apparent to its original audience, and to reflect on the evolving meaning of these symbols over time.