MOLARD or MOLART, MICHEL (French). Medallist of the second half of the seventeenth century, born at Dieppe, where he first practised carving in ivory. Later he settled in Paris. The date of his activity is comprised between 1643 and 1694. He worked on the medallic series of Louis XIV., and had an apartment in the Louvre, from about 1684 to 1703. According to Guiffrey, he probably died in the early months of 1714. This Engraver's signature occurs in various forms : MOLART. F.; — MOLARD. F.; — M. M. F.; — A. MOLART F. (sic); — MOLART; — M. MOLART F. ; — MOLART. FECIT. Among his most interesting medallic productions are : Battle of Dunkirk, 1658 ; — Another, with obv. by H. Roussel, and R signed : MOLART. F. ; — Battle of Fleurus, 1690 (obv. by Roussel, and also by Mauger); — Action off Beachy Head, 1690 (obv. by Roussel); — Capitulation of Mons, 1691; — Battle of Steinkirk, 1692; — Battle of Landen, 1693; — The Dauphin; R. Marie Anne Christina of Bavaria, 73 mill. (obv. illustrated); — Peace with Spain, and Marriage of Louis XIV., 1660; — Victories of Louis XIV. in the Netherlands, 1672; — Portrait-medallion, 1672 ; — Portrait-medallion of Louis XIV., 1672; — Battle of Senef, 1674; — 20 years' Truce, between France, Spain, and the Netherlands, 1684; — Capture of Bergen, 1691; — Establishment of the Academy of Rome; — Building of Churches for the neo-catholics ; — Conquest of Savoy ; — Battle of Staffarde, legend : INFELIX ALLOBROX PROFLIGATUS; — Portrait of Louis XIV., 1693; — Battle of Rethel; — Battle of Lens ; — Creation of Knights, 1662; — Capture of Lille, 1696; — Victory of Rethel, 1697; — The Grands Jours; leg : PROVINCI? AB INJURIIS; — Illness of the King, &c. All the above medals vary in size ; they occur in various combinations with obverses or reverses by Roussel, Roettier, and other contemporary medallists who were engaged on the same series. The following medals by Molart are all of the module of 30 “ lignes" : (1638). Facade of the Val-de-Grâce ; — 1643. Taking of Thionville ; — Battle of Carthagena; — 1644. Capture of Philipsburg; — 1645. Battle of Liorens and capture of Balaguier; — 1648. Peace of Westphalia ; — 1654. Consecration of the King ; — Relief of Arras; — 1657. Montmédy taken ; — 1660. Interview between Louis XIV. and Philip IV. ; — Marriage of Louis XIV. with the infanta Maria Theresia; — 1661. The King taking in hand the government of the State ; — The King accessible to all his subjects; — Birth of the Dauphin; — 1666. Death of the dowager Queen, Anne of Austria ; — The King's clemency ; — 1667. The Paris observatory ; — 1670. Embellishment of Paris; — 1672. Holland subdued; — 1673. Maestricht taken ; — 1674. Second conquest of Franche Comté ; — Battle of Senef; — 1675. Assistance rendered to Messina; — Hôtel des Invalides; — Limburg taken; — 1677. Valenciennes taken (signed: A. MOLART F.); — Battle of Cassel ; — Cambrai taken; — 1678. Lewe taken; — Peace of Nymwegen; — 1680. Raising of sailors; — 1681. Subjection of Strassburg and taking of Casale; — 1682. The King's selfcondemnation; — 1683. Strassburg fortified; — 1684. Bombardment of Genoa ; — Peace with Algiers ; — Twenty years' truce ; — Luxemburg taken; — 1686. Illness of Louis XIV.; — 1687. Recovery of the King ; — Festivities at the Hotel de Ville ; — 1688. Campaign of the Dauphin; — 1689. Promotion of Knights of Saint-Esprit; — 1690. Naval battle; — 1691. Mons taken; — Engagement of Leuze; — 1692. Namur taken; — Engagement of Steinkirk ; — Engagement of Pforzheim ; — 150 towns fortified ; — Institution of the Military Order of Saint-Louis; — 1693. Flourishing state of the navy ; — Prosperity of the Royal Family (medal presented to Canadian Indians) ; — 1694. Battle of Ter; — Givonne taken, &c. Guiffrey mentions a few other medals by Molart, which occur in various sizes : 1644. Battle of Fribourg; — 1673. Perrault's project for the Louvre ; — 1667. Bust of Louis XIV. ; — Bust of the King, crowned with laurel-wreath; — 1681. Building of a canal to connect the two seas; — Head of Louis XIV.; — 1683. Death of Queen Maria Theresia; — 1685. Head of Louis XIV. ; — The real supporters of the throne ; — Bust of the King ; — Bust of Boucherat (mentioned in Molart's widow's list of dies and puncheons, presented to the Mint on 14. June 1714); — The State apartments (Mercury between two goddesses) ; — Extinction of Heresy (Religion blessing the King in armour) ; — Portrait of the Dauphin ; — Liberality to authors; leg. : BONARUM ARTIUM REMUNERATORI (signed : MOLART FECIT) ; — The State granaries, 1672; — Cuirassed bust of Louis XIV. (sev. var.); — Laurel-wreathed bust of the King; leg. : LUDOVICUS MAGNUS REX GALLIARUM INVICTISSIMUS; — Half-length portrait of Louis XIV.; leg. : LOUIS LE GRAND ; — Cuirassed bust of the Dauphin ; — Bust of Louis XIV. with the cross of the order of the St. Esprit in front of cuirass, &c. Both artists, Mauger and Molart, were most prolific Engravers ; Molart preceded his colleague at the Medal-mint, and like him, was engaged in producing a series of reductions of earlier medals. Guiffrey gives the following account of the expeditious process by which these Medallists executed their medals so rapidly : " Dans l'atelier de presque tous les artistes se trouvent des alphabets de lettres ou d'ornements gravés en relief et servant évidemment de poinçons pour ébaucher les légendes des coins. Le graveur ne prend pas la peine de tailler la légende en relief sur le poinçon, opération fort longue, il se contente d'exécuter le sujet qu'il imprime en creux dans le carré; puis, ? l'aide de ses alphabets ou de ses ornements mobiles, il ach?ve son carré en y frappant successivement chaque lettre de la légende ou les ornements qui restent ? ajouter. Mais ce procédé expéditif est quelquelois poussé plus loin. Lors de l'inven taire apr?s déc?s de Molard, parmi les objets trouvés dans son atelier, figurent non seulement des alphabets de différentes grandeurs, non seulement des fleurs de lys qui rentrent dans les ornements dont nous parlions, faciles ? ajouter apr?s coup ; mais m?me des poinçons de t?tes de face et de profil, de pied, de mains et autres, — je copie textuellement l'inventaire, — servant ? former partie de la figure. Grâce ? ces pi?ces de rapport, certains graveurs en arrivaient ? supprimer la gravure préparatoire du poinçon. Ils ébauchaient sommairement leurs carrés en y imprimant les titres, les membres et les attributs préparés pour servir ? toute occasion et gravaient directement en creux. On juge des résultats d'un pareil procédé. Les médailles perdent ? cela toute originalité, toute délicatesse ; mais on était arrivé ? préférer la rapidité et l'économie ? la variété, ? la perfection. Quant aux graveurs qui se résignaient ? subir de pareilles exigences, ce n'étaient plus que des ouvriers condamnés ? une fabrication presque machinale " (J. J. Guiffrey, Les graveurs de médailles, Revue numismatique, 1885, p. 159). A Michel Molard is mentioned as Mint-engraver at Amiens, 1692-1698, but according to Rondot, this artist is not the Medallist of that name. Bibliography. — Bolzenthal, op. cit. — Rondot & De La Tour, op. cit. — Revue numismatique, 1885, 1889. — Ammon, op. cit. — Catalogus, &c. — Blanchet, op. cit., II, p. 398. — Franks & Grueber, op. cit. — Keary, Brit. Mus. Guide to English Medals, &c.
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
METELLES, GOTTFRIED WILHELM
METELLES, GOTTFRIED WILHELM (Germ.). Mint-engraver and Medallist, at Minden, circ. 1690-1711; then at Koenigsberg (Prussia), 1711-1724. His coins are usually signed : M; — G. M. ; or G. W. M. The Berlin Mint-engraver Friedrich Marl also signed M. By him are: Minden Gulden of Frederick I., 1705-6; Half Gulden, 1705; 1/12 Thalers, 1705-1706; — Koenigsberg Coronation Ducats, 1701 ; Ducats of Frederick William I, 1713-1722 (every year), &c. The artist's initials G. M. occur on a Half Batzen of Frede...
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METELLES, GOTTFRIED WILHELM (Germ.). Mint-engraver and Medallist, at Minden, circ. 1690-1711; then at Koenigsberg (Prussia), 1711-1724. His coins are usually signed : M; — G. M. ; or G. W. M. The Berlin Mint-engraver Friedrich Marl also signed M. By him are: Minden Gulden of Frederick I., 1705-6; Half Gulden, 1705; 1/12 Thalers, 1705-1706; — Koenigsberg Coronation Ducats, 1701 ; Ducats of Frederick William I, 1713-1722 (every year), &c. The artist's initials G. M. occur on a Half Batzen of Frede...
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MEUNIER, CONSTANTIN
MEUNIER, CONSTANTIN (Belg.). Painter and Sculpfor, born at Etterbeek, 12. April 1831, died in 1905. His first teacher was the engraver J. B. Meunier. He has obtained numerous distinctions at International Exhibitions. He was an Officer of the Order of Leopold. Many of his bas-reliefs are in the style of Plaques, and some have even been reduced to that size, as La Gl?be, Monument au Travail, and others. The Plaquette of the Société royale belge des Aquarellistes' is by this artist, and was struc...
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MEUNIER, CONSTANTIN (Belg.). Painter and Sculpfor, born at Etterbeek, 12. April 1831, died in 1905. His first teacher was the engraver J. B. Meunier. He has obtained numerous distinctions at International Exhibitions. He was an Officer of the Order of Leopold. Many of his bas-reliefs are in the style of Plaques, and some have even been reduced to that size, as La Gl?be, Monument au Travail, and others. The Plaquette of the Société royale belge des Aquarellistes' is by this artist, and was struc...
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MEYBUSCH, ANTON
MEYBUSCH, ANTON (Germ.). Medallist, said to have been of German origin, but I should suspect Dutch, as the Engraver sometimes signed himself Meijbus. He was probably born at Copenhagen, where he first studied, and learned the art of die-sinking. Between 1667 and 1677, he was, according to Nagler, engaged in medallic work for Christian V. of Denmark; after 1676 he went over to Stockholm and produced there numerous medals of Charles XI. and Queen Ulrica Eleonora. In 1684 he was invited to France...
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MEYBUSCH, ANTON (Germ.). Medallist, said to have been of German origin, but I should suspect Dutch, as the Engraver sometimes signed himself Meijbus. He was probably born at Copenhagen, where he first studied, and learned the art of die-sinking. Between 1667 and 1677, he was, according to Nagler, engaged in medallic work for Christian V. of Denmark; after 1676 he went over to Stockholm and produced there numerous medals of Charles XI. and Queen Ulrica Eleonora. In 1684 he was invited to France...
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MEYER, H. DE
MEYER, H. DE (Dutch). Medallist of the second half of the eighteenth century, by whom are : Medal on the Solemn Installation of Prince William V. of Orange-Nassau as hereditary Stadholder of the province of Utrecht, 1766; — Prize Medal of the Amsterdam Rifle Club, 1779 (signed : D. MEYER F.); — Badges of the Utrecht Association "Pro Patria et Libertate"; — Silver Wedding of N. Kien and M. Buck, 1786; — The Treaty with France solemnly f?ted at Zierikzee, 1786; — Medal of the Society "'tFortuyn ",...
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MEYER, H. DE (Dutch). Medallist of the second half of the eighteenth century, by whom are : Medal on the Solemn Installation of Prince William V. of Orange-Nassau as hereditary Stadholder of the province of Utrecht, 1766; — Prize Medal of the Amsterdam Rifle Club, 1779 (signed : D. MEYER F.); — Badges of the Utrecht Association "Pro Patria et Libertate"; — Silver Wedding of N. Kien and M. Buck, 1786; — The Treaty with France solemnly f?ted at Zierikzee, 1786; — Medal of the Society "'tFortuyn ",...
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