MARTIN, GUILLAUME (French). Sculptor, Goldsmith, and Engraver of Paris, whose period of activity is comprised between circa 1558 and 1590, which latter date is supposed to be that of his death. Although somewhat inferior to Etienne de Laulne, as an artist, he nevertheless ranks amongst the first Masters of the early French Renaissance Medallic School. On the 24. March 1557 (1558) the Cour des Monnaies authorized him, at the same time as Claude de Héry " ? faire chef-d'oeuvre de tailleuret graveur général ", but the work of his competitor obtained the preference. Martin's first production on record is a gold medal, commissioned by Henry II., in 1558, with the King's bust, which was to be presented, after the treaty of Cateau-Cambresis, to the German troops in his service. Specimens exist in silver, which give a very good idea of the artist's style. In the same year, the artist was entrusted with the execution of dies with portraits and emblems of Francis II. and Mary Stuart (" des coins pour meetre en tenailles, pour monnoyer et faire pi?ces de monnoyes ? leurs portraitz et devises, etc. "). A silver piece, in the Cabinet des Médailles, corresponds to this description, but appears to be a pattern coin or a medal rather than a real “ Testoon“. It is the work of a clever engraver. Seven years later, Martin was commissioned to prepare dies for “large gold pieces of ten Ecus " with busts of the King (Charles IX) and Dowager Queen. None of these are extant, but a silver piece of 1565, in the French National Collection, was no doubt struck from the same dies. To the same Engraver, Mazerolle ascribes several medals, all in silver, with portraits of Henry II., Catherine de' Medici and their sons. The puncheon of the bust of Henry II. (1558) was used for a restitution medal, the R of which represents Diana and bears the date, 1552. With a similar puncheon of Catherine de' Medici, preserved in the Paris Mint Museum, various medals were struck. The R, of Martin's medal of 1565 is also used as the obv. of a piece which shows on R the monogram JHC under a crown. The head of the same Queen occurs with a bust of Henry II. (1558), and under the reign of Henry III., with the busts face to face of Henry III. and Charles IX. By Martin are no doubt also the two struck medals of Catherine de' Medici R Bust of Francis II., Charles IX., and Henry III. (illustrated), and Henry II., 1559 R Fame blowing her trumpet (illustrated). This last medal displays uncommonly fine work and is of charming taste. On the death of Marc Béchot, Engraver-general of the coins (1558) Martin applied for his post, but, as we have seen, Claude de Héry was appointed. The artist's merit however obtained recognition under the reign of Charles IX., when in 1565 he was granted, by letters patent, the right of cutting dies for the coins of the Kingdom, and a yearly stipend of three hundred livres. The creation of this novel office raised strong objections on the part of the Cour des Monnaies, and it is difficult to say whether the artist ever really exercised his right. In 1565, Martin engraved dies for the Ducats and Testons of Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre, and contemporary documents prove that he filled the office of Engraver-general of the coins of Navarre, circ. 1564-1571. In 1565 he engraved two jetons with bust of Jeanne d'Albret (one illustrated). The 1/2 Teston is by him also, and probably various other coins of Navarre. The original puncheon of Jeanne d'Albret's Teston is preserved in the Paris Mint Museum. Both Brucherand Beaucousin seem to have engraved dies from models or puncheons by Martin. " Guillaume Martin ", observes Mazerolle " doit occuper dans l'histoire des médailleurs une place honorable ? côté" de Marc Béchot et d'Etienne de Laune. Il n'a pas toute l'ampleur, encore italienne de Béchot, mais il égale au moins Etienne de Laune par la pureté de son style et la suave expression de ses figures. Son oeuvre personnifie, avec celles d'Etienne de Laune et d'Antoine Brucher, cette belle Renaissance française, qui, se dégageant peu ? peu de l'influence italienne, atteint sa pleine maturité dans la seconde moitié du XVIe si?cle". The puncheons and dies which still exist of Guillaume Martin show him to have been an Engraver of real talent, but who however comes second to Etienne de Laune (Vide Rondot, op. cit., p. 220). Bibliography. — F. Mazerolle, Etienne de Laune et Guillaume Martin, Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1892, pp. 312-326. — Ibid., Médailleurs francais, 1902. — Rondot and De La Tour, op. cit. — Blanchet, Les graveurs en Béarn, Dax, 1888. — Bulletin Numismatique Serrure, 1903, p. 53. — A. Barre, Graveurs en médailles de la Renaissance francaise, 1867.
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
MALER, CHRISTIAN
MALER, CHRISTIAN (Germ.). Son of Valentin Maler, to whose business as a Goldsmith and Medallist he succeeded, circ. 1603. He was born at Nuremberg about 1584 and died there after 1648, but neither, the date of his birth, nor that ot his death are known. The period of his activity is placed between 1603 and 1648. Although a son of Valentin Maler, and grand-son of Wenzel Jamnitzer, his productions, which are very numerous, "are executed," says Bolzenthal, " in a mechanical manner and frequently in...
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MALER, CHRISTIAN (Germ.). Son of Valentin Maler, to whose business as a Goldsmith and Medallist he succeeded, circ. 1603. He was born at Nuremberg about 1584 and died there after 1648, but neither, the date of his birth, nor that ot his death are known. The period of his activity is placed between 1603 and 1648. Although a son of Valentin Maler, and grand-son of Wenzel Jamnitzer, his productions, which are very numerous, "are executed," says Bolzenthal, " in a mechanical manner and frequently in...
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MALER, VALENTIN
MALER, VALENTIN (Germ.). A celebrated Medallist of Nuremberg; son-in-law of Wenzel Jamnitzer, the famous Nuremberg goldsmith ; and father of Christian Maler. The date of his activity ranges from 1568 to 1603, in which year, according to Doppelmayr, he probably died. Mummenh of has traced this artist's origin to Iglau in Moravia, and Erman has further shown that before settling at Nuremberg he had been employed as Mint-engraver at Joachimsthal. He married Wenzel Jamnitzer's daughter Maria in 1569...
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MALER, VALENTIN (Germ.). A celebrated Medallist of Nuremberg; son-in-law of Wenzel Jamnitzer, the famous Nuremberg goldsmith ; and father of Christian Maler. The date of his activity ranges from 1568 to 1603, in which year, according to Doppelmayr, he probably died. Mummenh of has traced this artist's origin to Iglau in Moravia, and Erman has further shown that before settling at Nuremberg he had been employed as Mint-engraver at Joachimsthal. He married Wenzel Jamnitzer's daughter Maria in 1569...
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MANFREDINI, LUIGI
MANFREDINI, LUIGI (ltal.). Medallist, born at Bologna in 1771, died on 22. June 1840. He was for many years Professor of Medallic Art at the Milan Academy of Arts, and Mint-engraver there, rom 1798 to 1830, (first as assistant, then chief-engraver from 1808) during which period he cut dies for the Kingdom of Italy, the Austrian province of Lombardy, and executed a series of medals of indisputable merit. His predecessor and colleague at the Mint was Giuseppe Salvirch, by whom are also Milanese P...
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MANFREDINI, LUIGI (ltal.). Medallist, born at Bologna in 1771, died on 22. June 1840. He was for many years Professor of Medallic Art at the Milan Academy of Arts, and Mint-engraver there, rom 1798 to 1830, (first as assistant, then chief-engraver from 1808) during which period he cut dies for the Kingdom of Italy, the Austrian province of Lombardy, and executed a series of medals of indisputable merit. His predecessor and colleague at the Mint was Giuseppe Salvirch, by whom are also Milanese P...
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MANTEGNA, ANDREA
MANTEGNA, ANDREA (ltal). A celebrated Italian Painter and Engraver, born at Padua, 1430-1504. His works were numerous; he did altar-pieces and frescoes, his greatest being "The Triumph of Caesar". He was a man of versatile genius and poet as well as painter. His influence on Italian art was very considerable. At the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, are two bronze Plaques, both representing The Entombment, probably contemporary adaptations from the engraving on the same subject by Ma...
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MANTEGNA, ANDREA (ltal). A celebrated Italian Painter and Engraver, born at Padua, 1430-1504. His works were numerous; he did altar-pieces and frescoes, his greatest being "The Triumph of Caesar". He was a man of versatile genius and poet as well as painter. His influence on Italian art was very considerable. At the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, are two bronze Plaques, both representing The Entombment, probably contemporary adaptations from the engraving on the same subject by Ma...
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