Medal Design, The Equestrian Monument of Louis XV: GALLIA PLAUDENTE 1763

Curator: Here we have Benjamin Duvivier's "Medal Design, The Equestrian Monument of Louis XV: GALLIA PLAUDENTE" from the Harvard Art Museums, measuring about 25 centimeters in diameter. Editor: It's interesting how the sienna-toned lines give a sense of preliminary planning, of a design still being worked out. Curator: Indeed. The piece is all about idealized power, isn't it? Note the classical typeface and the Latin inscription “Gallia Plaudente”—France applauding—encircling the equestrian figure. Editor: And that figure, on a stage! You can almost feel the weight of the design pressing down on the sketch, reminding us of the material constraints inherent in creating a commemorative medal. Curator: A powerful encapsulation of Louis XV's reign within a circular form. Editor: It certainly offers much to consider about the relationship between artistic representation and the material realities of governance.