» French Medals « ⇐ Prev Medal Next Medal ⇒

Jacques Boyceau

Landscape with Caterpillars and Butterflies
Bronze, 71.0 mm Ø
By Abraham Dupré, 1624.
Obverse:  Bust of Jacques Boyceau facing right, wearing ruff, doublet embroidered with flowers, and cloak. Around, IAQVES · BOICEAV · SR · DE · LA · BARRAVDERIE · (Jacques Boyceau, Lord of Barauderie). Under truncation, AB · DVPRE · F · 1624.
Reverse:  View of a landscape with caterpillars on the ground and butterflies hovering above. Around, NATVS · HVMI · POST · OPVS · ASTRA · PETO (Born of the Earth, After My Achievement I Reach for the Stars).

Jacques Boyceau de la Barauderie (ca. 1562 - 1633/1638) was Intendant des Jardins (Superintendent of the Gardens) under Henri IV, Marie de' Medici, and Louis XIII. His treatise on gardening, Traité du jardinage, selon les raisons de la nature et de l'art, was published posthumously in 1638.

The reverse has traditionally been interpreted as symbolizing the course of human life, with spiritual rebirth after death. However, Pollard interprets it as simply reflecting Boyceau's pride in his own achievements.

Boyceau was friends with Guillaume Dupré, the father of Abraham, and was godfather to Abraham's brother Jacques. It is likely that the medal's commission derived from this friendship, and it was the first medal created by Abraham. Both Boyceau and Dupré came from Huguenot families.

Provenance:

Nomos 13, 7 October 2016, lot 31.

Morton & Eden 41, 9 December 2009, lot 299 (Lawrence R. Stack collection).

Morton & Eden 12, 21 April 2005, lot 31 (John R. Gaines estate).

References:

Jones 1988, no. 72

Pollard 2007, no. 654

Scher 2019, no. 571

⇐ Prev Medal Next Medal ⇒ » French Medals «