Historical and Commemorative Medals
Collection of Benjamin Weiss

 

MEDALLISTS FROM SPAIN, PORTUGAL AND MEXICO 

Flaxman, John: John Flaxman (1755-1826) is considered one of the greatest sculptors of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. He was born at York. In 1775 Flaxman was employed by Josiah Wedgwood where he modeled friezes, plaques and medallion portraits, using jasper and basalt compositions. Wedgwood considered Flaxman as "the greatest artist of the age" and gave him a long series of important commissions, including many of the finest portrait-medallions made of Jasperware, usually white upon blue. Jasper ware is a type of stoneware, or porcelain, often unglazed, developed by Wedgwood. The mark "Wedgwood" occurs before 1860. Later, (between 1860 and 1929), three-letter marks, indicating the month and year and potter were sometimes added. Still later (after 1891) the words England and Made in England were added after "Wedgwood".

Gaspar, Jose: Gaspar was a Flemish engraver, born in 1727. He was appointed engraver at the Mint of Lisbon in 1773, and Chief-engraver in 1785. Gaspar engraved not only medals, but also executed very fine coin dies. He died in 1812.

Gil, Geronimo Antonio: Geronimo Antonio Gil was a coin engraver and medallist who was employed at the Mint of Mexico during the last quarter of the eighteenth century.

Gordillo, F: Gordillo was a coin engraver and medallist of Mexico during the first quarter of the nineteenth century.

Prieto, Tomas Francisco: Prieto was a painter, line-engraver and medallist. He was born in Salamanca in 1716. He was the pupil of Lorenzo Monteman and Cuzens, went to Madrid to continue his studies, and was appointed Engraver at the Mint of Madrid in 1747. In 1752 King Charles III appointed him Chief Engraver to superintend all the mints of the kingdom with a view to improve the coinage. In 1772 he became Director of the School for the Improvement of Coinage. He died in 1782.

Suria, Tomas: Suria was a Mexican medallist who worked in the early years of the nineteenth century.

Vismara, Giovanni: Vismara was an Italian sculptor and medallist of the second half of the seventeenth century. He belonged to a family of artists of Milan, several members of which attained distinction, among them the famous painter Giacomo Vismara, who worked at the Court of the Sforzas in the second half of the fifteenth century.

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