Page 338 - Beholding Liberty!

II.8.C.13
Pierre Jean David d’Angers (1788-1856) Portrait of Jean-Gabriel Eynard, 1830
bronze medallion, diameter 16 cm
signed and dated: DAVID / 1830 (low centre)
inscribed: JEAN GABRIEL / EYNARD / L’ AMI DES / GRECS (left, vertically) A BOVET (right) Michael and Demetra Varkarakis Collection
A LARGE MEDAL by the prominent sculptor David d’Angers, who pro- duced a number of medals with philhellenes such as Favier [cat. no III.9.4]. This one features a portrait of Jean-Gabriel Eynard (1775-1863), a Swiss banker who emerged as one of the greatest philhellenes; he is shown in fine relief, in profile,
facing right. A personal friend of Ioannis Kapo- distrias, Eynard supported the Greek Struggle by diplomacy and a generous personal financial con- tribution. After the assassination of Kapodistrias, Eynard helped substantially to build the national economy of the weak Greek state, again by a gen- erous donation, as a result of which he was de- clared a national benefactor. That is why he duly earned the title of “a friend of Greeks”, inscribed on the medal.
338 BEHOLDING LIBERTY!
II.8.C.14
Peuvrier (unidentified artist)
Portrait of Eynard
bifacial bronze medallion, diameter 4 cm
signed: PEUVRIER F. (front side, bottom right)
dated: PARIS 1830 (back side, low centre)
inscribed: J.G. EYNARD – DE GENÈVE (front side, on periphery) L’AMI / DES GRECS (back side, centre) Michael and Demetra Varkarakis Collection
A SMALL MEDAL produced in 1830 by Peu- vrier, who also signed other medals, but is other- wise unknown. This is a portrait of Eynard, facing left, formally dressed, with medals on his chest.
There is no image on the verso, except for the appelation “a friend of Greeks”, which was widely used to describe the Swiss philhellene.