Bonaparte's Protecting Fortune. 1803. 19th century

This medal, "Bonaparte's Protecting Fortune," was created in 1803 by Nicholas Guy Antoine Brenet. Made of bronze, its small scale speaks to its purpose: it was designed to be circulated, and held. Consider the process: molten bronze poured into a mold, cooled, then meticulously detailed. The crisp lines of Bonaparte's profile, the carefully inscribed text – these elements were achieved through skilled labor, requiring not only technical expertise but also a deep understanding of aesthetic conventions. The bronze itself, an alloy of copper and tin, is a material with a long history, used for both practical and artistic purposes. By Brenet's time, the making of medals was transitioning from a handcrafted process to an industrialized one, reflecting broader shifts in labor and production during the Napoleonic era. In appreciating an object like this, we can consider the labor, skill, and industrial context that shaped its creation. "Bonaparte's Protecting Fortune" exemplifies how even a small, seemingly simple object can reveal larger narratives of social, economic, and political change.