Hermitage
September 29, 2012 - January 13, 2013
Menshikov Palace

in the Menshikov Palace opened "Medals of dishonor", prepared by the State Hermitage together with the British Museum, with the support of "metabolite studio", Los Angeles. The exposition of the British Museum «Medals of Dishonour», shown in London in 2009, supplemented by items from the Hermitage, and presents a new version of the exhibition.

The exhibition includes about 150 items medal art - medals special genre, reflecting the negative point of view on the events of history and so little known to the public.

originated in Italy in the Renaissance and spread rapidly in Europe medal art was meant to glorify the virtues and exploits rulers and eminent personalities. Thanks to the wide replication, the medal was an effective way to alert the public about current events - military victory, a change of rulers, and the way to promote new ideas, as a kind of mass media at the time. This feature medals served as a prerequisite for the emergence of a satirical medal-antipode, denigrate other people's achievements, social and religious ideas. A striking example of this - antipapskie medal-Flip, common in Germany during the Reformation, and later follow a similar medal of the devil - Cromwell, and the madman - Fairfax.

Pope and the devil. Avers. 1540s by an unknown German Silver medalist, casting Hermitage Source: hermitagemuseum.org

Dad and the devil. Reverse. 1540s by an unknown German Silver medalist, casting Hermitage Source: hermitagemuseum.org

Gerard van Beyler performed medal the destruction of the Armada in 1588, dedicating it to the winners of the battle not as a loser. Unknown Dutch medalist with unsavory details derided policy of Louis XIV in Algeria.

Events XIX centuries are reflected in the composition of the Englishman Thomas Halliday in 1842, dedicated to topical theme - income tax returns, and in the work of an unknown French medalist in 1850 - the revival of Bonapartism.

critical view of the past is reflected in the Napoleonic Empire medal Felicien Rops' Medal of Waterloo "- a parody of" Medal of St. Helena ", established by Napoleon III, - which were awarded hundreds of thousands of participants in the Napoleonic wars between countries. The obverse of the coin depicts an emaciated Rops legged veteran of the Napoleonic hat, leaning on a crutch. Medal adds an ironic title "The Last of Chauvin - that's all that's left of it».

Felicien Rops Medal of Waterloo. 1858 Gold, chasing British Museum, 2007 Source: hermitagemuseum . org

Medals twentieth century give very rich material for a chosen topic. The death and destruction that is war, embodied in the dark images of medals 1915-1918 Ludwig's work of His, Karl Goetz, and Arnold Tsadikova, which is dominated by the figure of Death.

American sculptor David Smith during a trip to Europe in 1935-1936 created a series of medals, entitled "Medals of dishonor," which criticized the war and those responsible for the political system. The name of this exhibition and was inspired this series.

particular interest are the exhibits produced in recent years, reflecting the most pressing problems of the world today. Users on dishonor were booked at the initiative of one of the authors of the exhibition, the artist-medalist Felicity Powell, "British stock art medals» («British Art Medal Trust») - a charitable organization that promotes the study and development of medal art. Most of these medals are not tied to a particular event, and a philosophical reflection on the generalization of the subject taken.

Managing emotional pathos condemnation realities of the modern world to humor clearly reflected in the medals Grayson Perry "For Faith in Shopping" (2008), made fun of the consumer society. The exhibition includes works and Felicity Powell. Among the medalists in the exhibition, there are our people - Ilya and Emilia (2007).

Grayson Perry Model medal "For the faith in the shopping." Avers. 2007 Terracotta British Museum, 2009 Source: hermitagemuseum.org

Grayson Perry Model medal "For the faith in the shopping." Reverse. 2007 Terracotta British Museum, 2009 Source: hermitagemuseum.org

Medal 2008 of Mona Hatoum raises the issue of global terrorism. On the circle of metal, decorated like a grenade, inscribed parallels, meridians and the contours of the continents of the globe. At the bottom of the edge inscription in Arabic script, which means in translation "Made in the United States».

also well represented at the show varied illustrations.

On the whole exhibition provides an interesting overview of the monuments of this particular branch of the medal art for five centuries, considering the phenomenon under unconventional point of view, sometimes the opposite purpose medals as the official historical record.

Curator from the State Hermitage - Catherine Vitalievna Lepekhina, Deputy Director of the State Hermitage numismatics.

Source : hermitagemuseum.org