Contemporary art medals
In contemporary medals the designer often questions the traditional concept of format, appearance and purpose. These medals are best appreciated when held and turned in the hand. Only this will reveal the intimate relationship of one side to other as intended by the artist. Fortunately contemporary medals are one of the most affordable art forms.
'Leda and the Swan', medal
'Leda and the Swan'
Medal (obverse view)
Robert Cook (born 1921)
Italy (Rome)
2000
Bronze, cast
Museum no. A.9-2001
Gift of the artist
Greek and Roman myths and legends are a frequent source of inspiration in medallic art. Here the handling of the figures reveals the artist's close observation of natural forms and his practice of working from life. He modelled the forms and textures in wax and then had the medal cast by a foundry.
View the reverse of this medal
'Punks', plaquette
'Punks'
Plaquette (obverse view)
Danuta Solowiej-Wedderburn (born 1962)
England (London)
1987
Bronze, cast
Museum no. A.10-2001
Gift of the artist
The artist arrived in London from Poland in 1987 when Punk was a huge phenomenon. Her design is an outsider's view of British culture but also a permanent record of a particular moment. Its projecting spikes embody the aggressive nature of Punk style and behaviour.
View the reverse of this plaquette
'Diamond', medal
'Diamond'
Medal (obverse view)
Lynn Chadwick (1914-2003)
Cast by the Pobjoy Mint for the British Art Medal Society
England
1984
Bronze, struck
Museum no. A.30-1984
Purchased from the British Art Medal Society
Lent by Lucy M. Cullen
The medal is thematically related to a large-scale sculpture of the same name showing full-length male and female figures. It was executed at the same time and is Chadwick's only medallic work. His monumental approach to composition is captured even within the small-scale format of the medal.
View the reverse of this medal
Antonio Pisanello - 23rd FIDEM Congress Medal, Ronald Searle
Antonio Pisanello - 23rd FIDEM Congress Medal (obverse view)
Ronald Searle (born 1920)
England (London)
1992
Bronze, struck
Museum no. A.3-1993
Commissioned by FIDEM (Fédération Internationale de la Médaille) in silver and bronze
Purchased from the British Art Medal Trust
Lent by Wendy Fisher
The cartoonist Ronald Searle wittily subverts the traditional medal format. Normally there is a portrait on one side and a symbolic image representing the virtue or achievements of the sitter on the reverse. When this medal is turned over, the reverse reveals the back of Pisanello's head.
View the reverse of this medal
'50th Anniversary of the Discovery of DNA', medal
'50th Anniversary of the Discovery of DNA'
Medal (obverse view)
Peter Musson (born 1977)
England (London)
Silver, cast
Museum no. A.9:1-2003
Purchased from the artist
The medal shows the DNA double helix against a background of concentric lines reminiscent of a fingerprint, another method of establishing identity. It was designed on a computer and the data sent to a computerised rapid-prototyping machine, which cut the master models with fine precision. Only the casting was done in the traditional way.
View of the reverse of this medal
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