François Joseph Hubert Ponscarme (20 April 1827,

Belmont-lès-Darney Belmont-lès-Darney (, literally ''Belmont near Darney'') is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Belmontais'' in French. See also *Communes of the Vosges department The followi ...

- 27 February 1903, Malakoff) was a French sculptor and

medallist A medalist (or medallist) is an artist who designs medals, plaquettes, badges, metal medallions, coins and similar small works in relief in metal. Historically, medalists were typically also involved in producing their designs, and were usually e ...

Biography

He was the second of twelve children born to a family of farmers. At that time, his father was serving as a school master. While he was still a toddler, his family moved to Nonville. One day, while out plowing, he turned up an ancient medal with an image of the Roman Emperor Caracalla; very well preserved. This apparently inspired him to pursue a career as a medallist. In 1839, he was allowed to take Latin lessons from the parish priest of Attigny. Two years later, he entered the sixth grade at the minor seminary in

Senaide Senaide () is a commune in the Vosges department in Grand Est in northeastern France. See also *Communes of the Vosges department The following is a list of the 507 communes of the Vosges department of France. The communes cooperate in the f ...

. In 1844, he was sent to the full seminary in

Châtel-sur-Moselle Châtel-sur-Moselle (, literally ''Châtel on Moselle'') is a commune in the Vosges department Department may refer to: * Departmentalization, division of a larger organization into parts with specific responsibility Government and military ...

, but stayed for only a few months. After that, he earned his living by sculpting crosses for the tombs at the local cemetery. A friend of the family, Father Charles Chapiat, provided him with a small sum that would enable him to join his older brother in Paris. There, he sought a position as an apprentice engraver. He also took lessons from Eugène André Oudiné, , and ; noted sculptors and medallists. This was brought to an end when he caught

cholera Cholera is an infection of the small intestine by some strains of the bacterium ''Vibrio cholerae''. Symptoms may range from none, to mild, to severe. The classic symptom is large amounts of watery diarrhea that lasts a few days. Vomiting and ...

, during the epidemic of 1849, and returned to Nonville to recover. The , a learned society devoted to antiquities, among other interests, provided assistance to the young artist. A scholarship gave him the means to return to Paris in 1854 and take classes at the École des Beaux-Arts. His talents were recognized the following year, when he was awarded second place in the engraving category at the Prix de Rome. In 1857, he received that same honor in the sculpture category.Louis Auvray, ''Exposition des Beaux-Arts'', Éditions bureau de l'Europe artiste, 1857 It was then that he decided to focus on medals, and was named a portrait medallist to Napoleon III. In 1867, medals he designed were awarded at the Exposition Universelle. That same year, he was named a Knight in the

Legion of Honor The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

. But these achievements were overshadowed by the death of his wife, Adélaïde, in 1869. They had been married for nine years, and had two children. In 1871, he was appointed a Professor at the École des Beaux-Arts. His notable students there would include

Oscar Roty Louis-Oscar Roty usually known as Oscar Roty (11 June 1846 – 23 March 1911) was one of the most celebrated medallists of the Art Nouveau period. Biography Louis-Oscar Roty was born on 11 June 1846 in Paris. He first studied painting and scul ...

, Alexandre Charpentier, , Abel Lafleur, and

Paul Niclausse Paul Niclausse (1879–1958) was a French sculptor, most famous for his art deco medals cast in bronze. He was awarded the Legion of Honor. In Paris, he taught at the École nationale supérieure des arts décoratifs and was also a professor at ...

. The following year he remarried, to Marie Suligowtoski-Dunin. They settled in Malakoff, and had eight children. He was also elected a member of the Municipal Council where, in 1881, he proposed that the

Republic A republic () is a "state in which power rests with the people or their representatives; specifically a state without a monarchy" and also a "government, or system of government, of such a state." Previously, especially in the 17th and 18th c ...

should be acclaimed after each meeting. His proposal was adopted by a large margin. Later, he served on a commission in charge of creating a new cemetery, for which he sculpted a monument. He resigned from the Council in 1884. He died at home in 1903, and was interred at the nearby . A room in the

Musée du 11 Conti The Musée du 11 Conti (previously: Musée de la Monnaie de Paris) is a museum dedicated to the manufacturing techniques and the know-how of the Monnaie de Paris. It is located in the 6th arrondissement in Paris. The museum houses exhibition roo ...

in Paris has been named after him, as have streets in Belmont and Malakoff.

References

External links

* Paul Chevreux, ''Le Sculpteur médailleur Hubert Ponscarme, biographie et catalogue de son œuvre'', Éditions Bertrand, 1908
Complete text online
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ponscarme, Hubert 1827 births 1903 deaths French medallists French sculptors École des Beaux-Arts faculty People from Vosges (department)

Biography

References

Further reading

External links