Defense of Verdun Medal

Paul Manship, Defense of Verdun Medal, 1920, bronze, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.88
Copied Paul Manship, Defense of Verdun Medal, 1920, bronze, 4 in. (10.2 cm) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of the artist, 1965.16.88

Artwork Details

Title
Defense of Verdun Medal
Artist
Date
1920
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
4 in. (10.2 cm) diam.
Credit Line
Gift of the artist
Mediums
Mediums Description
bronze
Classifications
Subjects
  • Figure group
  • Figure female
  • Architecture — vehicle — airplane
  • Allegory — place — France
  • History — France — World War I
  • Architecture Exterior — castle
  • Object — weapon — gun
Object Number
1965.16.88
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1965.16.88

Artwork Description

Congress authorized a special gold medal honoring the sacrifice of the citizens of the French city of Verdun during World War I. The Commission of Fine Arts held a limited competition for medal designs in early 1920, and this medal is one of Paul Manship’s proposed designs. On the obverse, a female figure holds a shield inscribed with the initials of the Republic of France; on the reverse, a French and an American soldier cross bayonets before the city’s walls. Below, the motto reads “They Shall Not Pass.”