The Women’s Auxiliary of the Massachusetts Civil Service Reform Association Presentation Medal

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONThis work honors prominent members of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Massachusetts Civil Service Reform Association; only two examples are known, and this is the only one that was actually awarded (the name of the recipient, Marie Ruth Mallery, is inscribed on the reverse.)WHERE WAS IT MADE?This medal was cast by the Gorham Company in Providence, Rhode Island.WHO WAS THE ARTIST?Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848-1907) was born in Dublin, Ireland before his family immigrated to New York City when he was still an infant. As a young man he was interested in art and by age 13, he was apprenticed to a cameo-cutter. He began classes at the Cooper Union and National Academy of Design before leaving for Paris in 1867 where he studied at the École. In 1870 the Franco-Prussian War forced him to move to Italy where he set up his studio in Rome. He later worked in both Paris and New York. After 1900, he settled in Cornish, New Hampshire where he gathered a community of artists around him. He taught at the Art Students League in New York City and is counted as one of the greatest American sculptors and monument builders of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.HOW WAS IT MADE?Medallic art is a type of small-scale sculpture. The tradition of making medals is rooted in the portrait medal tradition that became popular in the Renaissance. The process of striking medals began in the 17th century when it surpassed the older method of casting. However, in the case of this particular medal, the older casting method was used, rather than the more common striking method. To make the casting, the artist must begin with a clay model at the same size of the finished piece. The clay is then cast in plaster of Paris, creating a mold into which molten bronze will be poured for the final casting.WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE THIS?The obverse features the female figure of Justice. Notice how she holds a shield in her left hand and the standard and scales of justice in her right hand. The words “E Pluribus Unum” (One out of Many) are seen on a flowing banderole above. A two line inscription is seen directly behind the figure of Justice proclaiming, “The Best Shall/Serve the State.” The reverse features a wreath of pine boughs with a ribbon tie. A five line inscription is seen within the wreath as well as a cartouche containing the recipient’s name, Marie Ruth Mallery.To see another representation of Justice in the Johnson Museum’s collection, search for object number 2000.154.006 in the keyword search box.•Along with Daniel Chester French, Augustus Saint-Gaudens was one of the major figures of post-Civil War nineteenth-century American sculpture. Although he was most famous for his larger public and private commissions, he also executed medals marking the centennial of George Washington’s inauguration, in 1889, and the World’s Columbian Exposition, in 1893. This work, apparently executed as a favor to his niece, honors prominent members of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Massachusetts Civil Service Reform Association; only two examples are known, and this is the only one that was actually awarded (the name of the recipient, Marjie Ruth Mallery, is inscribed on the reverse). The detailed modeling and lettering was finished by the artist’s assistant, Frances Grimes, and the plaster model was cast by the Gorham Company in Providence, Rhode Island. Saint-Gaudens executed this medal later in his life, and it has a classical simplicity, openness, and dignity that are very different from his earlier work in this format. It was donated to the Museum by Lisa and Leonard Baskin in honor of John E. Marqusee; Leonard Baskin is himself a distinguished medalist and printmaker, and the Marqusee Collection of American Medals, over 400 strong, is now one of the most significant parts of the Johnson Museum’s holdings. (From “A Handbook of the Collection: Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art,” 1998)