BOVY, JEAN FRANCOIS ANTOINE (Swiss). Born at Geneva, 14. December 1795; died there, 18. September 1877. His father was a Jeweller, and from his early youth A. Bovy displayed unusual abilities as an engraver on metal. In 1824, having completed his studies in his native city and already produced some very commendable work, he was sent to Paris, where, under the direction of the celebrated statuary, Pradier, he learned modelling and sculpture. He then returned to Geneva, was married, and in 1830 went back to Paris. In 1835 he was naturalized a Frenchman, in order to be allowed to compete for the engraving of the new French coinage. His talent was recognized by the award of a gold medal, and a few years later, in 1843, he was decorated with the Legion of Honour for his fine medal on the Building of Railways. In 1855, Bovy and Depaulis received the only medals granted in that year for engraving. Previous to this, in 1850,the Swiss government had entrusted the artist with the execution of the dies for the federal coinage; again in 1873 the same task fell to him; and this was practically his last work. During his long medallic career, Antoine Bovy displayed a prodigious activity. Larousse, in the Dictionnaire universel, expresses the opinion that he will ever remain one of the great masters of the French medallic school, his works bearing comparison with the best productions of Dupré, Varin, Duvivier and others. Dr F. P. Weber, whose praise is more cautious and stinted, says that " some of his pieces are less hard in appearance than most struck medals under Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III". The following is a fairly complete list of Ant. Bovy's works : I, 1/2 and 1/6 Batz for Grisons, 1842 ; — — 5 Francs, Geneva, 1848; — 10 Francs, Geneva, 1848; — Swiss federal coins, 5 Francs to 1 centime, 1850; — 5 Francs, 1851 ; — Pattern 2 Francs, 1854 Pattern 5 Francs, 1855 ; — Pattern 1/2 Franc, 1855 ; — 5 Francs 1873 and 1874; — Pattern 2 Francs, 1860; — 2 Francs, 1874, 1875, 1878 and 1879 ?; — Franc, 1875, 1876, 1877 and 1880; — 1/2 Franc, 1875, 1877, 1878 and 1879; — Federal Shooting Thaler of Basle, 1844; — Do of Aarau, 1849; — 10 Francs, Geneva, 1851 ; — Federal Shooting Thaler, Soleure, 1855 ; — Do of Stanz, 1861 ; — Obv. Fed. Shooting Thaler, Chaux-de-Fonds, 1863 ; — Fed. Shooting Thaler, Schaffhausen, 1865 ; — Do of Schwyz, 1867; — Do of Zoug, 1869; — Do of St. Gall, 1874; — J. Froben, printer of Basle ; — David de Purry, philanthropist of Neuchâtel; — Marc August Pictet, Geneva; — J. C. Escher, Zurich; — Dr Lombard, Geneva; — H. B. de Saussure, Geneva; — Ch. Bonnet, Geneva ; — General Dufour (French and German) ; — Do, large size; — James Fazy, Geneva; — Frederick Soret, numismatist, Geneva ; — J. L. Schoenlein, Zurich ; — J.J. Rousseau ; — J. Th. Scherr, Zurich; — J. Sam. Bovy (obv.); — F. Th. L. Baron Grenus, Geneva ; — Medallion of Frederic Soret; — J. E. Chaponniére, Geneva; — L. J. Gay-Lussac; — Third Jubilee of the Reformation, Geneva, 1835 ; — J. Calvin; — Third Jubilee of the Reformation, Berne, 1828; — Head of Jesus Christ (2 var.); — Exhibition of Fine Arts, Geneva; — Industrial Schools, Geneva; — Aphrodite (illustrated); — Agricultural and Industrial Societies (5 types); — Swiss Industry; — Exhibition at Berne, 1830; — Exhibition at Soleure; — Fine Art Exhibition at Berne, 1857; — Horticultural Show at Lausanne; — Cantonal Exhibition of Fine Arts at Geneva; — National Exhibition at Geneva; — Prize medal of the Genevese Conservatoire ; — Helvetic Concert, Geneva, 1856 (2 var.); — Musical Festival, Geneva, 1872; — The Swiss Officers' Fete at Langenthal, 1822; — Inauguration of the Railway, Lyons-Geneva (2 var.) ; — Inauguration of the Mont-Blanc bridge at Geneva ; — 50th Anniversary of the reunion of Geneva with Switzerland, 1864 ; — National Rifle Competition, 1864; — The statesmen of Geneva, 1814-1842 (2 types); — Monument to J. J. Rousseau ; — Canal of Roannes ; — Polytechnikum, Zurich ; — Society of Public Utility, Geneva ; — Navigation Society ; — The Statesmen of canton Vaud ; — Abbaye des Carabiniers ; — Pattern 5 Francs, French Republic, 1848; — Pattern 20 Francs, 1852; — Pattern 50 centimes Louis-Philippe I ; — Pattern 2 centimes do ; — Abd-el-Kader; — St. Helena Memorial of Napoleon I. ; — Louise of Saxony ; — Chateaubriand; — Frantz Liszt (2 var.); — Ch. F. Lebrun; — Goethe, 1824, and 1831 (2 var.); — Alexander von Humboldt, 1859; — George Cuvier (2 var.); — Louis-Philippe I.; — Railway Laws promulgated ; — General Bonaparte in Egypt; — Enlargement of Marseilles Harbour ; — Bridge of Nemours ; — Viaduct of Dinan ; — Building of the Paris Normal School; — Enlargement of the harbour at Havre; — History of Louis-Philippe l.; — Empress Eugénie; Napoleon III., The Ceinture Railway at Paris; — The Austerlitz Bridge at Paris; — Western Railways; — Peace of Paris, 1856; — Universal Exhibition, 1855 ; — Telegraphic Communications; — Marriage of Prince Bonaparte, 1859; — London Universal Exhibition, 1862; — Jean de la Quintinie ; — A. P. and E. L. S. La Rochefoucauld ; — Enlargement of the Conservatoire des Arts et Métiers; — F. A., Vicomte de Chateaubriand; — The Prince Imperial (3 var.) ; — The Bridge of Thionville; — Enlargement of the Palais des Beaux Arts ; — Palais du Luxembourg ; — The Empress Eugénie (3 var.); — Her Visit to the Bank of France; — Railway from Paris to Strasburg; — Loan of 100 millions, 1859; — Battle of Alma, 1854; — Algerian Railways; — Universal Exhibition at Besançon, 1850 ; — Imperial Rewards, Napoleon III. (2 var.) ; — Departure of Napoleon III. for Italy, 1859 ; — François Arago ; — Mme Cornuau ; — A. de Lamartine; — J. A. A. Prost; — A. Thiers; — Firemen of Chambéry; First National Synod of the Reformed Churches, 1859; — French National Exhibition, 1849: — Inauguration of the Railways; — The Halles Centrales at Paris; — The Salon of 1859; — Fine Arts (2 var.) ; — The Old Guard; — Paris-Orleans Railway; — The Mines of Montchanin ; — Sugar Refinery of Valenciennes ; — Lord Dudley Stuart; — The Chamber of Notaries; — Paganini; — Chopin, 1847 ; — Comte Motowski; — The Spanish Museum; — Baron Charles Dupin ; — Paul Foffa, 1873 ; — Hugues Darier, 1872; — Charles Bovy-Lysberg, 1873; — François Guizot ; — Jeton of William Tell ; — Léonce Augrand ; — Genevese Photographic Society R. from Bovy's die of the 1848 5 Franc piece of Geneva; — Lebrun, Duke of Placentia; — Mlle Nelly d'Hervas; — Mme de R***; — Prize medal for Sculpture, 1852 ; — Trial of the new Coining Press invented by Jean S. Bovy ; — Charles Bonnet (1720-1793) of Geneva ; — Dr Lucas Schoenlein (1793-1864) of Zurich, 1839; — La Rochefoucauld, Société d' Assurances sur la vie, 1842; — Goethe, 1824; — Another, 1831, Janus head; — Genevese Society for the Protection of Animals, &c. Bovy's signature on the medals is A. B., or A. BOVY. This Engraver cut also a few gems. 1. The dates in italics refer to coins struck from Bovy's dies after his death. Bibliography. — Antoine Henseler, Antoine Bovy, sa vie et ses principales aeuvres, Fribourg, 1881 and Supplements. — Bulletin et Revue de la Société suisse de Numismatique, 1882-1898. — Dr P. F. Weber, Medals and Medallions, ?c. — Grand Dictionnaire Larousse.
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
Source: Biographical dictionary of medallists; coin, gem, and seal-engravers, mint-masters, ancient and modern, with references to their works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900; compiled by L. Forrer, London 1904
BLOC, CONRAD VAN
BLOC, CONRAD VAN (Dutch). This Medallist of uncommon talent was of Dutch origin. His works date from 1575 to 1602. It is not known where he was born, nor where he resided. He excelled in portraiture, and some of his medals of Philip II. are very much admired. So early as 1577 he had produced seven different portraitpieces of William of Orange, and of the Prince's consort, Charlotte of Bourbon. There exist other portrait-medallions by him, notably the following : of the Count Palatine John Casimi...
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BLOC, CONRAD VAN (Dutch). This Medallist of uncommon talent was of Dutch origin. His works date from 1575 to 1602. It is not known where he was born, nor where he resided. He excelled in portraiture, and some of his medals of Philip II. are very much admired. So early as 1577 he had produced seven different portraitpieces of William of Orange, and of the Prince's consort, Charlotte of Bourbon. There exist other portrait-medallions by him, notably the following : of the Count Palatine John Casimi...
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BLONDEAU, PIERRE
BLONDEAU, PIERRE (French). Coin-engraver and Medallist of Paris ; inventor of a machine for striking coins and medals. At the request of the Parliament he came to England in Sept. 1649, and in 1656, he obtained a pension of ? 100 a year. He soon afterwards returned to France, to come back at the Restoration, when Charles II. confirmed his grant. He was appointed Provost of the moneyers and engineers at the London Mint to carry out his improvements, which office he held from the 14th, Charles II....
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BLONDEAU, PIERRE (French). Coin-engraver and Medallist of Paris ; inventor of a machine for striking coins and medals. At the request of the Parliament he came to England in Sept. 1649, and in 1656, he obtained a pension of ? 100 a year. He soon afterwards returned to France, to come back at the Restoration, when Charles II. confirmed his grant. He was appointed Provost of the moneyers and engineers at the London Mint to carry out his improvements, which office he held from the 14th, Charles II....
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BLUM, JOHANN
BLUM, JOHANN (Germ.). Medallist, residing at Bremen, where he worked from 1631 to 1660. The Houses of Saxony, Brunswick and Orange employed him largely, and for them he cut a number of commemorative medals. One on the Marriage of William II., Prince of Orange, and Princess Mary, 1641, is interesting to English collectors; two varieties are known. His work bears some resemblance to that of Sebastian Dadler. Among his best medals I would not omit : Portrait of the Swedish General Banner; — Gustavu...
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BLUM, JOHANN (Germ.). Medallist, residing at Bremen, where he worked from 1631 to 1660. The Houses of Saxony, Brunswick and Orange employed him largely, and for them he cut a number of commemorative medals. One on the Marriage of William II., Prince of Orange, and Princess Mary, 1641, is interesting to English collectors; two varieties are known. His work bears some resemblance to that of Sebastian Dadler. Among his best medals I would not omit : Portrait of the Swedish General Banner; — Gustavu...
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BOEHM, JOSEF DANIEL
BOEHM, JOSEF DANIEL (Austr.). Medallist and Mint-engraver of Vienna, during the second quarter of the nineteenth century. He was born in 1794; studied under Pichler and at Rome under Canova and Thorwaldsen. For a number of years he filled the office of Director of the Vienna Mint. Among Boehm's principal medallic works and coin-dies are : Josepha Fodor, Viennese actress, 1825; — Archduke Charles Louis, 1843; — Dedication of the new cathedral at Erlau, 1837; — Enthronization of Ferdinand Maria, ...
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BOEHM, JOSEF DANIEL (Austr.). Medallist and Mint-engraver of Vienna, during the second quarter of the nineteenth century. He was born in 1794; studied under Pichler and at Rome under Canova and Thorwaldsen. For a number of years he filled the office of Director of the Vienna Mint. Among Boehm's principal medallic works and coin-dies are : Josepha Fodor, Viennese actress, 1825; — Archduke Charles Louis, 1843; — Dedication of the new cathedral at Erlau, 1837; — Enthronization of Ferdinand Maria, ...
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