Allegory of the Fight Against Death [reverse] 1906

This is Jules-Clément Chaplain's Allegory of the Fight Against Death, a silver medal made in the late 19th century. The artist was a master of the die-casting process, where a design is engraved into a metal die, which is then used to stamp the image repeatedly. Consider the striking, almost photographic realism Chaplain achieved in this small-scale object. The texture of the draped fabric, the delicate rendering of the figures – all this was achieved by pressing the silver between the die. Think of the immense pressure required, and the skill necessary to avoid damaging the die. Medals like these were often commissioned by institutions or given as awards. Here, the theme is gynecological science, a field then undergoing rapid professionalization. The medal thus embodies a sense of progress and triumph over mortality, even as it acknowledges the ever-present reality of death. Chaplain’s work invites us to consider the artistic value of objects made by mechanical means. His sophisticated process of creation challenges traditional hierarchies between art and craft.