Grands Hommes Français: Pierre Corneille (1816) 1816

This bronze medal of Pierre Corneille was designed by Jacques Edouard Gatteaux in 1816. It commemorates the French dramatist during a period of political and cultural restoration in France. Corneille, who lived from 1606 to 1684, was a towering figure in French literature, known for his tragedies that explored themes of duty, honor, and sacrifice. This medal speaks to the way national identity is constructed and celebrated through its cultural icons. Notice the inscription, which gives us dates that mark Corneille’s life. Medals like this were often commissioned by the state to celebrate and propagate cultural values, while shaping collective memory. This commemorative object transforms the individual into a symbol, but what does it mean to immortalize someone in this way? This medal invites us to consider how we choose to remember and celebrate figures from the past, and whose stories are deemed worthy of preservation.