BRENET, NICOLAS GUY ANTOINE (French). Medallist born at Paris in 1773 ; pupil of Girod and Gatteaux; died in the same city in 1846. He largely contributed to the Napoleonic series of medals, executed under the direction of Denon ; over 50 are by him; the following pieces are well-known : 1803. École de Pharmacie, Paris; — 1804. Law School of Paris, jeton ; — Plan for multiplying Dies, by Dupeyrat; — The Civil Code (2 var.); — 1804, Coronation Festivities (2 var.) ; — Napoleon's Preserving Fortune (illustrated) ; — 1805. R. Liguria reunited to France; — R. Napoleon's memorial to Desaix ; — Jeton of the Prefecture of the Seine ; — R. School of the Mines of Mont-Blanc ; — R. The Emperor commands the Grande Armée; — R. French Colours retaken at Inspruck ; — R. Austria subdued (2 var., one illustrated) ; — R. Venice restored to Italy; — R. Column of the Grande Armée; — 1806. R. Istria conquered; — R. Dalmatia conquered; — R. Conquest of Naples; — R. The Prince of Baden visits the Medal Mint (3 var.); — R. Confederation of the Rhine; — R. Triumphal arch of the Carrousel; — 1807. R. French standards upon the banks of the Vistula ; — R. Battle of Preuss-Eylau ; — R. Battles of Marengo and Friedland ; — R. Napoleon and Frederick Augustus ; — R. Creation of the Kingdom of Westphalia; — 1808. R. Union of Etruria with the Empire; — The English army arrives in the Peninsula ; — Alexander I. of Russia ; — R. Battle of Sommo Sierra ; — R. Entry of the French into Madrid ; — R. Queen Caroline (2 var.) ; — Queen Hortense (2 var.); — Road from Lucca to Pisa; — The figures of Medinet Abu (3 var.); — Chamber of Notaries at Versailles; — 1809. R. Battles of Abensberg and Eckmühl; — R. Passage of the Danube; — Medical Society of Bordeaux; — 1810. Marriage of Napoleon with Marie Louise ; — Prince Ferdinand, Grand Duke of Würtzburg visits the Medal Mint; — R. To Desaix; — 1813. Battle of Würtchen; — 1814. February MDCCCXIV. Previous to 1804. Brenet had cut a medal commemorative of the Conquest of Egypt by General Bonaparte, 1798; and another on the Treaty of Rastadt. After Napoleon's downfall, Brenet worked for Louis XVIII, Charles X., and Louis Philippe, and was rewarded for exhibits at the Salons of 1817, 1822, 1831, 1833, 1834, 1839, &c. His principal productions of that period are : Return of Louis XVIII to France; — Entry of Louis XVIII into Paris; — 1817. Marriage of the Duc de Berry; — 1822. Birtli of the Duc de Bordeaux; — 1831. Agricultural Medals; — 1833. Medals representing the Medallic history of the reign of Napoleon ; — Sappho on a rock holding a lyre; — 1834. The Colonne Vendôme (reduced to 1/24) ; — 1835. Oath of allegiance to Louis Philippe of the cities of France ; — The two statues of Napoleon I. placed on the Vendôme column in 1810 and 1833 ; — 1839. Attack on the Hôtel de Ville, 28th July ; — Taking of the Louvre, 29th July 1830 ; — Medical Society of Bordeaux. Soon after Charles X'.s accession, Brenet cut his State Seals. Brenet did some very fine work as a Coin-engraver. His head of Napoleon I. was adopted after the coronation for the French silver currency. The first 5 Franc pieces of this new type were issued in the year XIII of the Republic (23rd Sept. 1804-22nd Sept. 1805); they bear NAPOLEON EMPEREUR on obv. and RÉPUBLIQUE FRANCAISE on R. ; the signature of the artist BRENET appears on the truncation, whilst beneath is Tiolier's monogram. The same head is found on the coins of year XIV, 1806 and 1807. In 1807, Brenet somewhat altered the type, and a new issue came out at the end of the year with a laureated head of Napoleon, which was preserved until 1815. The legend of the R. was altered in 1809 to EMPIRE FRANCAIS. At the Mint, Brenet worked under the supervision of Tiolier, who engraved the first coins of the Empire. A large number of patterns and trial pieces by Brenet of the years XI, XII and XIII of the Republic are still in existence. Brenet executed also several medals of Mudie's National Series : Battle off Cape St. Vincent, 1797, R. of N° 4 ; — Defence of Acre, 1799, by Admiral Sir Sydney Smith, R. N° 7; — Foundation of the Royal Military College of Sandhurst, 1802, R. N° 11 ; — Portrait of the Duke of Wellington, Obv. Nos 12, 15, 23, 25, 35, 36; — Battle of Albuera, 1811, R. N° 18; — The British Army enters Madrid, 1812, R. N° 21; — Battle of Toulouse, 1814. R. N° 26; — Treaties of Paris, 1814 and 1815, R. N° 29 ; — Return of Napoleon, 1815, obv. N° 32; — Surrender of Napoleon to Captain Maitland, 1815, R. N° 37 ; — and others of interest to English collectors; — Napoleon's Army of England leaves Boulogne, 1805 ; — Same R. but obv. by Droz ; — Napoleon at Saint Helena, obv. ; — The remains of Napoleon brought back to France by the Prince de Joinville, 1840. Bibliography. — Chavignerie et Auvray, Dictionnaire général des artistes de l'école francaise, Paris, 1882. — Edw Edwards, The Napoleon Medals, London, 1821. — Bolzenthal, op. cit. — Dr F. P. Weber, op. cit
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
BONIS, NICCOLO DE
BONIS, NICCOLO DE (Ital.). Medallist to Pope Sixtus V., and his successors until Clement VIII. ; and Engraver of the coins at the Papal Mint of Rome, between 1580 and 1592. His principal medals are : Pope Gregory XIII. ; — Sixtus V. (5 var.) ; — Gregory XIV. (8 var.); — Innocent IX. (7 var.); — Clement VIII. (4 var.) ; — Orazio Astesano. Niccolo de Bonis is mentioned in 1591 as Incisore della Zecca Romana in a document of that year. His work resembles somewhat that of Federigo Parmense ; he cut ...
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BONIS, NICCOLO DE (Ital.). Medallist to Pope Sixtus V., and his successors until Clement VIII. ; and Engraver of the coins at the Papal Mint of Rome, between 1580 and 1592. His principal medals are : Pope Gregory XIII. ; — Sixtus V. (5 var.) ; — Gregory XIV. (8 var.); — Innocent IX. (7 var.); — Clement VIII. (4 var.) ; — Orazio Astesano. Niccolo de Bonis is mentioned in 1591 as Incisore della Zecca Romana in a document of that year. His work resembles somewhat that of Federigo Parmense ; he cut ...
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BONNET, GUILLAUME
BONNET, GUILLAUME (French). Medallist and Sculptor; born in 1820, died at Lyons in 1893. He was a member of the Jury for Medal-engraving at the Salon of 1847. He obtained in 1848 the second Grand Prix de Rome for his medallions of Count de Salvandy and Royer-Collard. In 1849 he exhibited an intaglio representing Mercury forming the caduceus. This artist received in 1860 the cross of the Legion of Honour. One of his cast works is a statue representing the city of Lyons, which has been erected on ...
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BONNET, GUILLAUME (French). Medallist and Sculptor; born in 1820, died at Lyons in 1893. He was a member of the Jury for Medal-engraving at the Salon of 1847. He obtained in 1848 the second Grand Prix de Rome for his medallions of Count de Salvandy and Royer-Collard. In 1849 he exhibited an intaglio representing Mercury forming the caduceus. This artist received in 1860 the cross of the Legion of Honour. One of his cast works is a statue representing the city of Lyons, which has been erected on ...
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BONNETON, THÉODORE
BONNETON, THÉODORE (Swiss). Medallist and Coin-engraver of Geneva, baptised on June 11, 1762, died April 5, 1805. He filled the post of Mint-engraver at Geneva from 1794 to 1795, and executed, after the designs of the painter St. Ours, the dies of the Ecu “genevoise" of 1794; — AR. 5 Centimes á la ruche of 1794 ; — Gros écu of 1795 ; — Three and Six Sols of 1795. By him is also a medal die of Jean Jacques Rousseau, with portrait three-quarter face to 1., from which no medals were struck until 18...
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BONNETON, THÉODORE (Swiss). Medallist and Coin-engraver of Geneva, baptised on June 11, 1762, died April 5, 1805. He filled the post of Mint-engraver at Geneva from 1794 to 1795, and executed, after the designs of the painter St. Ours, the dies of the Ecu “genevoise" of 1794; — AR. 5 Centimes á la ruche of 1794 ; — Gros écu of 1795 ; — Three and Six Sols of 1795. By him is also a medal die of Jean Jacques Rousseau, with portrait three-quarter face to 1., from which no medals were struck until 18...
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BONT, CORNEILLE DE
BONT, CORNEILLE DE (Belg.). Goldsmith and Seal-engraver, one of the cleverest artists of his time. He was born at Breda, and left that city in 1470, for Ghent, where he resided until 1504. A contemporary poet, Jean Lemaire, quotes him in the Couronne margaritique : Approche-toy, orfévre du due Charles, Gentil Gantois, Corneille, trés habile. It is more or less certain that he worked for Charles the Bold, but his best productions are the seals he cut for Mary of Burgundy, 1476, Maximilian and Mar...
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BONT, CORNEILLE DE (Belg.). Goldsmith and Seal-engraver, one of the cleverest artists of his time. He was born at Breda, and left that city in 1470, for Ghent, where he resided until 1504. A contemporary poet, Jean Lemaire, quotes him in the Couronne margaritique : Approche-toy, orfévre du due Charles, Gentil Gantois, Corneille, trés habile. It is more or less certain that he worked for Charles the Bold, but his best productions are the seals he cut for Mary of Burgundy, 1476, Maximilian and Mar...
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