Benedetto Pistrucci
Encyclopedia
Benedetto Pistrucci was a distinguished Italian
Gem-engraver, medallist
and coin-engraver who became Chief-medallist at the Royal Mint
in England
.
, second son, of a family of three, of Frederico Pistrucci, a judge in the federal court, and Antonia (née Greco). His elder brother Phillip became a painter, copper-plate engraver and poet. He was educated in Rome, Bologna
and Naples
, but was not an outstanding scholar. However, he acquired an interest in art and received instruction first from a cameo engraver known as "Mango", in Rome, then trained under Stefano Tofanelli
.
During his recovery from a serious injury sustained in a fight, Pistrucci taught himself to model in wax
at home. His models attracted favourable attention and led to his employment as a cameo maker for a merchant called Domenico Desalief. At the age of 15, he was placed with the gem-engraver Nicolo Morelli (1771-1830), whose patrons included the Pope and Napoleon I
. Here he gained great experience in carving cameos and also attended the drawing academy at the Campidoglio
, where he obtained first prize in sculpture
. At the age of 16 years, he left his master - who by then was said to be quite jealous of his pupil's abilities - and set up in business on his own, "loaded with commissions on all sides".
In 1802, Pistrucci married Barbara Folchi, daughter of a well-to-do merchant. He continued working in Rome, turning out portrait cameos and engraved gems, until 1814. He then moved to Paris
, France, in December 1814, where he fulfilled several orders, and made a wax cameo of Napoleon, which he, apparently, kept in his pocket so he could compare it to the "original" when he appeared in public. He then went on to London
, England in 1815, becoming very successful and wealthy as a cameo designer and maker, and was eventually presented to the Master of the Mint
, Wellesley Pole
.
After the death of Thomas Wyon
in 1817, Wellesly Pole offered Pistrucci the post of Chief-engraver at the Royal Mint
, with a salary of £500 p.a. and a house within the grounds of the Mint. In fact, although he performed the duties of a de facto Chief-engraver, he never officially occupied the post due to controversy on the grounds of his foreign origin. A compromise was eventually agreed, in 1828, whereby William Wyon
was made Chief-engraver and Pistrucci, "Chief-medallist".
Petrucci created the St. George & the Dragon
design used on British gold sovereigns and crowns first seen during the Great Recoinage of 1816
. He cut the dies for the coinage from 1817: The Crowns were issued in 1818, 1819 and 1820. In 1820, he engraved a George III
Five Pound piece, of which only 25 specimens were officially made; however on the death of the king, a few more were authorised. In that year the Pattern Two Pound piece was issued, limited to 60 coins. Sovereigns appeared in all the years from 1817-20, and Half-sovereigns
in 1817, 1818, and 1820, as well as many other proofs and patterns. He also engraved the early coins of George IV
's reign: the Double Sovereign, 1823; Sovereign, 1821-1825; Half-sovereign, 1821 and 1823-25; Crown, 1821-22; Pattern Crown (called "the handsomest coin in Europe" by Denon
, Director of the French Mint) etc.
Pistrucci's involvement with the coinage ceased in 1825 but he continued at the Mint until 1849 as a medallist. He also engaged in private work as a cameo- and Intaglio
-maker, commanding high prices for his work, and turned out the occasional bust. Amongst others, he designed the Coronation medal of George IV, and a medal to commemorate the King's visit to Ireland
in 1821. In 1838, he made the silver seal of the Duchy of Lancaster
, claiming to have invented a new process by which the punch or die
could be cast in metal directly from the original wax or clay mould, rather than having to be copied by hand engraving.
Pistrucci's masterpiece is undoubtedly the massive 140.8mm, 677.5g Waterloo Medal , which took over 30 years to complete, and for which he was paid the sum of £3,500. It was begun in 1817 but the matrices
were not delivered to the Master of the Mint until 1850!
To immortalize the successful Waterloo campaign, the Duke of Wellington suggested that a couple of special medals be prepared. From a July 11, 1815, letter from Master of the Mint, W. W. Pole, to the president of the Royal Academy
:
Medallists were petitioned to submit designs for the medal. Pistrucci's design was selected over a design by John Flaxman
, which had been recommended by the Royal Academy. However, due to an internal strife at the Royal Mint between Pistrucci, Pole, and Wyon regarding the position of chief engraver, work on the medal got off to a slow start. Ongoing personality conflicts within the Royal Mint, salary disputes, a heavy workload, and the utter complexities of the proposed design were all contributing factors as to why it took Pistrucci 33 years to complete his masterpiece. In 1849 the dies were reportedly finished, but only in terms of design execution. Although the dies were created in four pieces to assist in their hardening, it seems that nobody was willing to take the risk of damaging Pistrucci's work that was three decades in the making. Unfortunately, by this time all of the intended recipients of the medal were deceased, with the exception of Wellington. Gutta-percha impressions and electrotypes
were finally created. Pistrucci was finally able to see his magnum opus in medal form.
, of "inflammation of the lungs", on 16th September 1855. He is buried in Virginia Water
, Surrey
, at Christ Church. He has a prominent gravestone which cites his title as Her Majesty's "Chief Medallist". His grave is situated at the front of the Church under a tree
Pistrucci had six children, the two eldest, Victoria and Vincenzio, were born at Rome, and one died in early youth. His son, Camillo Pistrucci, was a pupil of sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen
, and obtained an appointment from the Papal government to restore ancient statues. He died of cholera in 1854. The two younger daughters, Elena Pistrucci and Maria Elisa Pistrucci (Signora Marsuzi), who resided for some years at the Mint with their father, became well-known Cameo-engravers.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Gem-engraver, medallist
Medal
A medal, or medallion, is generally a circular object that has been sculpted, molded, cast, struck, stamped, or some way rendered with an insignia, portrait, or other artistic rendering. A medal may be awarded to a person or organization as a form of recognition for athletic, military, scientific,...
and coin-engraver who became Chief-medallist at the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Early life, training and career
Pistrucci was born in RomeRome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, second son, of a family of three, of Frederico Pistrucci, a judge in the federal court, and Antonia (née Greco). His elder brother Phillip became a painter, copper-plate engraver and poet. He was educated in Rome, Bologna
Bologna
Bologna is the capital city of Emilia-Romagna, in the Po Valley of Northern Italy. The city lies between the Po River and the Apennine Mountains, more specifically, between the Reno River and the Savena River. Bologna is a lively and cosmopolitan Italian college city, with spectacular history,...
and Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, but was not an outstanding scholar. However, he acquired an interest in art and received instruction first from a cameo engraver known as "Mango", in Rome, then trained under Stefano Tofanelli
Stefano Tofanelli
Stefano Tofanelli was an Italian painter during the Neoclassic period.-Life:He was born in Lucca. He was a pupil of Niccolò Lapiccola in Rome...
.
During his recovery from a serious injury sustained in a fight, Pistrucci taught himself to model in wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
at home. His models attracted favourable attention and led to his employment as a cameo maker for a merchant called Domenico Desalief. At the age of 15, he was placed with the gem-engraver Nicolo Morelli (1771-1830), whose patrons included the Pope and Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
. Here he gained great experience in carving cameos and also attended the drawing academy at the Campidoglio
Capitoline Hill
The Capitoline Hill , between the Forum and the Campus Martius, is one of the seven hills of Rome. It was the citadel of the earliest Romans. By the 16th century, Capitolinus had become Capitolino in Italian, with the alternative Campidoglio stemming from Capitolium. The English word capitol...
, where he obtained first prize in sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
. At the age of 16 years, he left his master - who by then was said to be quite jealous of his pupil's abilities - and set up in business on his own, "loaded with commissions on all sides".
In 1802, Pistrucci married Barbara Folchi, daughter of a well-to-do merchant. He continued working in Rome, turning out portrait cameos and engraved gems, until 1814. He then moved to Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, France, in December 1814, where he fulfilled several orders, and made a wax cameo of Napoleon, which he, apparently, kept in his pocket so he could compare it to the "original" when he appeared in public. He then went on to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England in 1815, becoming very successful and wealthy as a cameo designer and maker, and was eventually presented to the Master of the Mint
Master of the Mint
Master of the Mint was an important office in the governments of Scotland and England, and later Great Britain, between the 16th and 19th centuries. The Master was the highest officer in the Royal Mint. Until 1699, appointment was usually for life. Its holder occasionally sat in the cabinet...
, Wellesley Pole
William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington
William Wellesley-Pole, 3rd Earl of Mornington GCH, PC, PC , known as The Lord Maryborough between 1821 and 1842, was a British politician and an elder brother of the Duke of Wellington....
.
Chief-medallist at the London Royal Mint
Thomas Wyon
Thomas Wyon the younger was an English medallist and chief engraver at the Royal Mint.-Life:Wyon was born in Birmingham...
in 1817, Wellesly Pole offered Pistrucci the post of Chief-engraver at the Royal Mint
Royal Mint
The Royal Mint is the body permitted to manufacture, or mint, coins in the United Kingdom. The Mint originated over 1,100 years ago, but since 2009 it operates as Royal Mint Ltd, a company which has an exclusive contract with HM Treasury to supply all coinage for the UK...
, with a salary of £500 p.a. and a house within the grounds of the Mint. In fact, although he performed the duties of a de facto Chief-engraver, he never officially occupied the post due to controversy on the grounds of his foreign origin. A compromise was eventually agreed, in 1828, whereby William Wyon
William Wyon
William Wyon, RA , was official chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 until his death. He was influenced by the master of relief sculpture, John Flaxman. Wyon was a highly visible proponent of the Neoclassicist vogue, and was elected to the Royal Academy in 1838.Wyon was born in Birmingham,...
was made Chief-engraver and Pistrucci, "Chief-medallist".
Petrucci created the St. George & the Dragon
Saint George and the Dragon
The episode of Saint George and the Dragon appended to the hagiography of Saint George was Eastern in origin, brought back with the Crusaders and retold with the courtly appurtenances belonging to the genre of Romance...
design used on British gold sovereigns and crowns first seen during the Great Recoinage of 1816
Great Recoinage of 1816
The Great Recoinage of 1816 was an attempt by the British Government to re-stabilise the currency of Great Britain following economic difficulties precipitated by the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars.-History:...
. He cut the dies for the coinage from 1817: The Crowns were issued in 1818, 1819 and 1820. In 1820, he engraved a George III
George III of the United Kingdom
George III was King of Great Britain and King of Ireland from 25 October 1760 until the union of these two countries on 1 January 1801, after which he was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland until his death...
Five Pound piece, of which only 25 specimens were officially made; however on the death of the king, a few more were authorised. In that year the Pattern Two Pound piece was issued, limited to 60 coins. Sovereigns appeared in all the years from 1817-20, and Half-sovereigns
British Half Sovereign coin
The half sovereign is an English and British gold coin with a face value half that of a sovereign: equivalent to half a pound sterling, ten shillings, or 120 old pence...
in 1817, 1818, and 1820, as well as many other proofs and patterns. He also engraved the early coins of George IV
George IV of the United Kingdom
George IV was the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and also of Hanover from the death of his father, George III, on 29 January 1820 until his own death ten years later...
's reign: the Double Sovereign, 1823; Sovereign, 1821-1825; Half-sovereign, 1821 and 1823-25; Crown, 1821-22; Pattern Crown (called "the handsomest coin in Europe" by Denon
Dominique Vivant
Dominique Vivant, Baron de Denon was a French artist, writer, diplomat, author, and archaeologist. He was appointed first director of the Louvre Museum by Napoleon after the Egyptian campaign of 1798-1801.-Biography:...
, Director of the French Mint) etc.
Pistrucci's involvement with the coinage ceased in 1825 but he continued at the Mint until 1849 as a medallist. He also engaged in private work as a cameo- and Intaglio
Intaglio
Intaglio are techniques in art in which an image is created by cutting, carving or engraving into a flat surface and may also refer to objects made using these techniques:* Intaglio , a group of printmaking techniques with an incised image...
-maker, commanding high prices for his work, and turned out the occasional bust. Amongst others, he designed the Coronation medal of George IV, and a medal to commemorate the King's visit to Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
in 1821. In 1838, he made the silver seal of the Duchy of Lancaster
Duchy of Lancaster
The Duchy of Lancaster is one of the two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Cornwall. It is held in trust for the Sovereign, and is used to provide income for the use of the British monarch...
, claiming to have invented a new process by which the punch or die
Die (manufacturing)
A die is a specialized tool used in manufacturing industries to cut or shape material using a press. Like molds, dies are generally customized to the item they are used to create...
could be cast in metal directly from the original wax or clay mould, rather than having to be copied by hand engraving.
The Waterloo Medal
Matrix (numismatics)
In numismatics, a matrix is an intermediate used in the process of manufacturing coins.A matrix has its design in the same sense as a die. The design is engraved convex into the matrix, which is used to create punches. The matrix step was developed in the 17th century for two main reasons...
were not delivered to the Master of the Mint until 1850!
To immortalize the successful Waterloo campaign, the Duke of Wellington suggested that a couple of special medals be prepared. From a July 11, 1815, letter from Master of the Mint, W. W. Pole, to the president of the Royal Academy
Royal Academy
The Royal Academy of Arts is an art institution based in Burlington House on Piccadilly, London. The Royal Academy of Arts has a unique position in being an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects whose purpose is to promote the creation, enjoyment and...
:
- "I have been commanded to strike two Medals at the Royal Mint in commemoration of the battles of Les Quatre Bras and Waterloo; One, in gold, of the largest size, to embrace the exploits of the allied army under the Duke of Wellington the Prince of Orange and the Duke of Brunswick, and of the Prussian Army under Field Marshal Blucher. This Medal will probably be given to each of the sovereigns in alliance with the Prince Regent, to their ministers and generals."
Medallists were petitioned to submit designs for the medal. Pistrucci's design was selected over a design by John Flaxman
John Flaxman
John Flaxman was an English sculptor and draughtsman.-Early life:He was born in York. His father was also named John, after an ancestor who, according to family tradition, had fought for Parliament at the Battle of Naseby, and afterwards settled as a carrier or farmer in Buckinghamshire...
, which had been recommended by the Royal Academy. However, due to an internal strife at the Royal Mint between Pistrucci, Pole, and Wyon regarding the position of chief engraver, work on the medal got off to a slow start. Ongoing personality conflicts within the Royal Mint, salary disputes, a heavy workload, and the utter complexities of the proposed design were all contributing factors as to why it took Pistrucci 33 years to complete his masterpiece. In 1849 the dies were reportedly finished, but only in terms of design execution. Although the dies were created in four pieces to assist in their hardening, it seems that nobody was willing to take the risk of damaging Pistrucci's work that was three decades in the making. Unfortunately, by this time all of the intended recipients of the medal were deceased, with the exception of Wellington. Gutta-percha impressions and electrotypes
Electrotyping
Electrotyping is a chemical method for forming metal parts that exactly reproduce a model. The method was invented by Moritz von Jacobi in Russia in 1838, and was immediately adopted for applications in printing and several other fields...
were finally created. Pistrucci was finally able to see his magnum opus in medal form.
Final years and family
Pistrucci died at his home, Flora Lodge, Englefield Green, near WindsorWindsor, Berkshire
Windsor is an affluent suburban town and unparished area in the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in Berkshire, England. It is widely known as the site of Windsor Castle, one of the official residences of the British Royal Family....
, of "inflammation of the lungs", on 16th September 1855. He is buried in Virginia Water
Virginia Water
Virginia Water is an affluent village, a lake and, originally, a stream, the village being in the Runnymede Borough Council in Surrey and the bodies of water stretching over the borders of Runnymede, Old Windsor and Sunninghill and Ascot, England....
, Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, at Christ Church. He has a prominent gravestone which cites his title as Her Majesty's "Chief Medallist". His grave is situated at the front of the Church under a tree
Pistrucci had six children, the two eldest, Victoria and Vincenzio, were born at Rome, and one died in early youth. His son, Camillo Pistrucci, was a pupil of sculptor, Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen
Bertel Thorvaldsen was a Danish-Icelandic sculptor of international fame, who spent most of his life in Italy . Thorvaldsen was born in Copenhagen into a Danish/Icelandic family of humble means, and was accepted to the Royal Academy of Arts when he was eleven years old...
, and obtained an appointment from the Papal government to restore ancient statues. He died of cholera in 1854. The two younger daughters, Elena Pistrucci and Maria Elisa Pistrucci (Signora Marsuzi), who resided for some years at the Mint with their father, became well-known Cameo-engravers.
External links
- B. Pistrucci at Artnet
- Biography (London Atelier of representational art)
- Biography and photo
- Pieces by Pistrucci in the Royal Collection
- Head of Medusa, Cameo (Metropolitan Museum of ArtMetropolitan Museum of ArtThe Metropolitan Museum of Art is a renowned art museum in New York City. Its permanent collection contains more than two million works, divided into nineteen curatorial departments. The main building, located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Manhattan's Museum Mile, is one of the...
) - Portraits by Pistrucci (National Portrait Gallery, London)