Design for a Token: Marine, 1744

Drawing was fundamental to the work of the sculptor Edme Bouchardon. This design for a French navy (Marine) token—one of hundreds of studies for medals and tokens he was hired to produce—is an exquisite example of his technical skill. Such tokens were issued every New Year’s day for employees of the royal administrations. Here the goddess Venus—born of the sea and thus a suitable marine subject—reclines elegantly on a narrow ledge, her pale, delicately modeled body standing out against the dark, richly drawn sea. Knowing his design would be translated into a one-inch bronze relief, Bouchardon divided his scheme into three concise zones: sky, sea, and figure. Except for some charming sea objects in the foreground (coral, pearls, seashell), he included few details. The wavy sea, the goddess’s flirtatious turn of the head, and her fluttering hair add movement to the scene. Subtly enlivening the medallion format, Venus’s elbow and toe protrude slightly into the rigidly drawn border.