LEVILLAIN, FERDINAND (French). Contemporary Sculptor and Medallist, born at Paris (Passy); pupil of Lequien and Jouffroy. He first began to exhibit in 1861. In 1872, he was rewarded with a medal of the second class; a medal of the first class in 1884; a silver medal at the Universal Exhibition of 1889 ; and made a Knight of the Legion of Honour in 1892. He died on the 22nd January 1905. For many years he had been a member of the Jury of the Salon. A number of his productions are exhibited at the Luxemburg Museum. Besides numerous works of sculpture, Levillain has produced some very fine medals and belongs to the leading French medallists of our time. By him are : 1866. Ceres, bronze medal; — Youthful Bacchus; — 1867. Pandora and Epimetheus; — Napoleon I.; — 1868. Menalchus and Mopsus ; — Juno; — 1869. The Golden Age; — Herakles and Omphale ; — Jupiter and Juno ; — The Vintner, plaque ; — 1870. Homer and the Shepherds, bas-relief in bronze; — 1872. Market-day, and Return from Market; medal in clay, obv. and R. ; — AR. Portrait-medal of C. Sévin, sculptor; — 1873. A Procession, bas-relief in bronze ; — AR. Portrait-medal of F. Jouffroy, the medallist; — 1874. Mercury ; — Portrait of M. B.***; — 1875. The Rape of Europa, bas-relief in bronze; — 1876. Fight between Centaurs and Lapith?, bas-relief in terracotta; — Vulcanus, medal of the Society of bronze manufacturers ; — Education — Bacchus; — 1877. Youth leading a goat; — The Amphora of Medusa; — 1878. Hop Gathering; — 1879. Portrait of M. Noël Louis; — 1880. Large bas-relief in bronze representing various scenes of the myth of Bacchus, &c. ; and among the artist's later medals and medallic works, the best known are no doubt : Juno and Psyche (executed in commission for the " Société francaise des Amis de la Médaille ; illustrated); — La Lecture; — Ceres and Bacchus; — Universal Exhibition of 1889; the Eiffel Medal; — The National Manufactory of S?vres; — Alexandre Barbier (plaquette) ; — M. Z. Beau, Canon of St. Maurice at Sens ; — The Chariot of the Sun ; — Portrait of a young Girl; — The Education of Bacchus ; — Youth and Old age ; — Aristide Bruant ; — The Gharmer (illustrated); — Jean du Cogno; — Diogenes; — Latona and the frogs; — Medaea; — The Death of Argus; — The four Seasons; — The Seine; — The City of Paris; — Louis Noël; — George Gagnac; — La Terre; — The Death of Argus; — Perseus; — Idyl; — Ganymed?; — Théodore Deck, 1887; — Abbé Beau, ivory portrait-medallion; — The Potter, 1888; — Commemorative medal of the Eiffel Tower, 1889; — Diogenes and Alexander bronze medal; — Agricultural Prize Medal, 1890; — Diogenes searching for a man; — Latona and the farmers, 1893 ; — M. Georges Berger, Deputy of the Seine; — M. Alexandre Barbier, 1896; — Mlle Clémence Tetu, 1897; — Ceres and Bacchus, medal, 1898, &c. Levillain has been called " un puissant évocateur de l'antique ". Most of his subjects are drawn from mythology, but he has adapted them to modern ideas, without falling into the excesses of some of the representatives of the modern school. His feminine forms, whether nude or enclothed in drapery are natural and delicately modelled. Most of his compositions, in sculpture, decorative art, as well as in medal-engraving, are well drawn, carefully designed and elaborately executed. M. Roger Marx has described Levillain as a very able artist, who has been successful in modernizing the antique and stamping his work with his own individuality ". Bibliography. — Chavignerie et Auvray, op. cit. — Roger Marx, Médailleurs contemporains. — D°, The Studio, Oct. 1898, p. 21. — Do., Médailleurs — francais. Catalogue du Salon, 1901-1904. — L'Art, 1894, p, 72. — Art et Décoration, 1899, II, 51; 1903, II, 30. — Art décoratif, 1901, 65, 67. — L. Bénédite, op. cit. — Gazette numismatique francaise, 1898, 1900. — Dr J. de Dompierre de Chaufepié, Médailles et Plaquettes modernes, II.
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
LEBAS, PAUL VICTO
LEBAS, PAUL VICTOR (French). Sculptor and Gem-engraver, who resided at Paris during the third quarter of the nineteenth century and probably later. He was a pupil of Callouëtte. Between 1852 and 1876 he was a frequent exhibitor at the Paris Salon : 1852. Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, President of the French Republic, cameo; — Prince Lucien Bonaparte, cameo; — 1853. The Empress Eugenie, cameo executed from the directions of Count de Nieuwerkerke and M. Peyre; — 1855. Portrait of Mme X***, shel...
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LEBAS, PAUL VICTOR (French). Sculptor and Gem-engraver, who resided at Paris during the third quarter of the nineteenth century and probably later. He was a pupil of Callouëtte. Between 1852 and 1876 he was a frequent exhibitor at the Paris Salon : 1852. Prince Louis Napoleon Bonaparte, President of the French Republic, cameo; — Prince Lucien Bonaparte, cameo; — 1853. The Empress Eugenie, cameo executed from the directions of Count de Nieuwerkerke and M. Peyre; — 1855. Portrait of Mme X***, shel...
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LEBERECHT, F.
LEBERECHT, F. (Germ.). Medallist, and Gem-engraver, born at Meiningen in 1749, was appointed Engraver to the Russian Mint in 1775 ; in 1794 he became an Academician, and a little later, Chief-Medallist to the Court ; he further rose to the dignity of a Councillor of State, and died in 1827. For several years, previous to his death, the artist had been enjoying retirement in private life on a pension of 1500 Roubles allowed him by the Russian government. Bolzenthal remarks : "Few artists of his k...
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LEBERECHT, F. (Germ.). Medallist, and Gem-engraver, born at Meiningen in 1749, was appointed Engraver to the Russian Mint in 1775 ; in 1794 he became an Academician, and a little later, Chief-Medallist to the Court ; he further rose to the dignity of a Councillor of State, and died in 1827. For several years, previous to his death, the artist had been enjoying retirement in private life on a pension of 1500 Roubles allowed him by the Russian government. Bolzenthal remarks : "Few artists of his k...
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LECLERC, DAVID L.
LECLERC, DAVID L. (Swiss). Court-medallist to the Landgrave of Hesse at Cassel, towards the end of the seventeenth century. He was a native of Berne, in which city he practised at first die-sinking. He usually signed his productions : LE CLERC P. (David Le Clerc Pére), whereas his son, Gabriel Leclerc, who appears to have succeeded him at Cassel, signed LECLERC or GLC. According to Strickler, a D. Leclerc was a Portrait Painter, born at Berne in 1680, died at Franktort-on-M., in 1738. He settle...
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LECLERC, DAVID L. (Swiss). Court-medallist to the Landgrave of Hesse at Cassel, towards the end of the seventeenth century. He was a native of Berne, in which city he practised at first die-sinking. He usually signed his productions : LE CLERC P. (David Le Clerc Pére), whereas his son, Gabriel Leclerc, who appears to have succeeded him at Cassel, signed LECLERC or GLC. According to Strickler, a D. Leclerc was a Portrait Painter, born at Berne in 1680, died at Franktort-on-M., in 1738. He settle...
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LECLERC, GABRIEL
LECLERC, GABRIEL (Swiss). Medallist of the end of the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth century arc. 1685-1737. He first worked at Basle, then at Cassel, and Berlin, and for some time was Mint-master at Bremen, 1737-1743 (?). His signature : G-L-C or GLC occurs on Thalers of Basle, undated (circ. 1685); — Prize Medal, Adoration of the Shepherds and three Kings (Al and AR.) ; — Prize Medal, obv. Lion R View of Basle (signed GLC) ; — Medallic Thaler, 1691 ; — Medal of George William of ...
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LECLERC, GABRIEL (Swiss). Medallist of the end of the seventeenth and first half of the eighteenth century arc. 1685-1737. He first worked at Basle, then at Cassel, and Berlin, and for some time was Mint-master at Bremen, 1737-1743 (?). His signature : G-L-C or GLC occurs on Thalers of Basle, undated (circ. 1685); — Prize Medal, Adoration of the Shepherds and three Kings (Al and AR.) ; — Prize Medal, obv. Lion R View of Basle (signed GLC) ; — Medallic Thaler, 1691 ; — Medal of George William of ...
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