Smithsonian American Art Museum
Primavera
Paul Wayland Bartlett, born New Haven, CT 1865-died Paris, France 1925 · 1925
Although the story behind Paul Wayland Bartlett’s medal design is unknown, the title, Primavera, refers to an allegory of spring that was a popular theme among Renaissance artists. The laurel wreath framing the young girl’s head can also symbolize the success or victory that a commemorative medal is designed to honor. This hollow relief, with its ragged edge, was likely produced as an artist’s strike, or sample, to test the final design.
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