Wijn van de Bourgogne (1929) 1929

This bronze medal, Wijn van de Bourgogne, was made in 1929 by H. Bouchard. It’s a hefty little thing at 455 grams. I imagine Bouchard carefully carving away at the metal, letting the figures emerge from the surface like secrets being revealed. On one side, we see this serious man, maybe Bouchard himself, contemplating a glass of wine. He’s got this look of deep concentration, like he’s trying to unlock the mysteries of the universe through a sip of Burgundy. Then, flip it over, and you see the source of the magic – people harvesting grapes, bent over the vines in a dance of labor and nature. You feel the weight and pressure as you look at the medal. Maybe Bouchard wanted to capture the whole story of winemaking, from the backbreaking work in the fields to the quiet moment of reflection with a glass in hand. It’s about the ongoing conversation between people, the earth, and the art we create from it all.