The Dassiers of Geneva: Eighteenth-Century European Medallists Volume I: Jean Dassier, Medal Engraver

the long version

Volume I traces the career of Jean Dassier (1676-1763) from his early years as an extraordinarily gifted artisan to his emergence in the 1730s as an artist of international fame. Volume II treats the period of the workshop's greatest fame, commencing with the return of Jean from England and terminating with the death of his son and principal heir, Jacques-Antoine (1715-1759). It recounts how the family created a new type of medal, more personal, international and dynamic than those of the Age of Absolutism. These objects reflect their creators' knowledge of painting, sculpture and engraving of the Age of the Enlightenment.