In Honor of Gustave Adolphe Hirn, Physicist (1815–1890) 1889

This bronze plaquette, made by Louis-Oscar Roty, immortalizes the physicist Gustave Adolphe Hirn. Hirn's profile, rendered in precise detail, faces right, framed by inscriptions honoring his birth and commemorating him to compatriots, friends and admirers. The profile portrait, a venerable form dating back to ancient coins and Roman busts, finds new life here. Think of the Roman emperors, their profiles stamped onto coins—a symbol of power and authority, or Renaissance medals celebrating humanist scholars. The profile captures not just likeness but character, a distillation of the individual into an enduring image. Consider how the act of memorializing, of freezing a moment in time, speaks to our deepest desires to transcend mortality. We crave permanence, a lasting echo of our existence. This plaquette is more than just a tribute to Hirn; it is a testament to the enduring power of the image, a silent dialogue across the ages.