William Wyon: Difference between revisions

'''William Wyon''', {{Post-nominals|post-noms=[[List of Royal AcademyAcademicians|RA]]}} ([[Birmingham]] 1795 – October– 29, October 1851), was official chief [[engraver]] at the [[Royal Mint]] from 1828 until his death.

Wyon was born in [[Birmingham]] and, [[England]]. Inin 1809 he, was apprenticed to his father, a[[Peter Wyon]] who was an engraver and die sinker.<ref>Wyon, William, L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, Volume VI, London 1916, p. 650-687.</ref> In 1816, he went to [[London]]. He studied the works of [[John Flaxman]], attended the schools of the [[Royal Academy]], and gained a gold medal from the [[Society of Arts]] for a copy of the head of [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]], and a second for an original group. In 1816 he was appointed assistant engraver to the mint, and in 1828 chief engraver. In 1831 he was elected associate and in 1838 full member of the Royal Academy.<ref name=eb>{{Cite EB9|wstitle=Wyon, William|volume=24}}</ref><ref>{{cite DNB|wstitle=Wyon, William|volume=63|first=Warwick William|last=Wroth|authorlink=Warwick William Wroth}}</ref> He died in [[Brighton]], United Kingdom.<ref name=ea>{{Cite Americana|wstitle=Wyon, William}}</ref> Wyon is buried under a simple rectangular York stone slab at [[West Norwood Cemetery]]. He was the father of engraver [[Leonard Charles Wyon]].

Under the influence of Flaxman, a master of [[relief sculpture]], Wyon was a highly visible proponent of the [[Neo-Classicism|Neoclassicist]] vogue.<ref>M. Jones, "The life and work of William Wyon", in ''La medaglia neoclassica in Italia e in Europa : atti del quarto Convegno internazionale di studio sulla storia della medaglia, 20-2320–23 giugno 1981: Palazzo Belgrado/Palazzo del Torso/Aula magna del CISM'', Udine, CIAC libri, 1984, pp. 119-40119–40; as cited [httphttps://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/s/silver_frosted_bronze_medal_of.aspx "Silver frosted bronze medal of St. Thomas's Hospital, by William Wyon: The Cheselden Medal", ''British Museum.'' On line.] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151018122238/http://www.britishmuseum.org/explore/highlights/highlight_objects/cm/s/silver_frosted_bronze_medal_of.aspx |date=18 October 2015 }}</ref>

In 1834 he modelled the head of Princess [[Victoria of the United Kingdom|Victoria]], who was 15 years of age at the time. This work was subsequently used for the [[http://cdn.collectionsbase.org.uk/gb813/silver_wyon_medal.jpg City Medal]] struck in 1837 to celebrate Victoria's first visit to the [[City of London]] after her accession to the throne<ref>[http://www.imagesoftheworld.org/stamps/wyon.htm "Wyon City Medal (1837) and the Penny Black (1840)", ''Images of the World''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080509101407/http://www.imagesoftheworld.org/stamps/wyon.htm |date=9 May 2008 }}</ref> and another medal also issued in 1837 commemorating her visit to the [[Guildhall, London|Guildhall]].<ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.historicalartmedals.com/MEDAL%20WEB%20ENTRIES/CITY%20OF%20LONDON/WYON-VISIT%20OF%20VICTORIA%20TO%20GUILDHALL-BW557.htm |title=Visit of Queen Victoria to the Guildhall] |access-date=11 May 2008 |archive-date=23 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080423000606/http://www.historicalartmedals.com/MEDAL%20WEB%20ENTRIES/CITY%20OF%20LONDON/WYON-VISIT%20OF%20VICTORIA%20TO%20GUILDHALL-BW557.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The name of William Wyon is well known among [[coin]] and [[medal]] collectors because of his prodigious output and artistic skill. He designed “Thethe second and third effigies of [[George IV of the United Kingdom|George IV]], the effigy of [[William IV of the United Kingdom|William IV]] in 1830, working from the bust by [[Sir Francis Chantrey]],<ref>see Carlisle, 'Memoir', quoted below at Biography</ref> and "The Young Head”Head", which graced Victoria’sVictoria's coinage from 1838 to 1860 on the pennies and the rest of the coinage until 1887.<ref>[{{Cite web |url=http://www.journalofantiques.com/Apr05/coinsapr05.htm |title=James C. Johnston Jr., "Victoria Regina", ''Journal of Antiques and Collectibles'' (April, 2005)] |access-date=8 May 2008 |archive-date=7 August 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080807132734/http://www.journalofantiques.com/Apr05/coinsapr05.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref> He also designed the [[Naval General Service Medal (1847)|Naval General Service Medal]], of which 20,933 were issued. Notable among his medallic work are the obverse designs for the prize, juror and other medals for [[The Great Exhibition]] at [[The Crystal Palace|Crystal Palace]] in 1851, the year of his death in [[Birmingham]]. [[File:Victoria Young Head by William Wyon.jpg|thumb|Victoria Young Head by William Wyon, edited as a retro-pattern by the British medallist Donald R Golder for the Spink Patina Collection.]]

==BiographyBibliography==

* [httphttps://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=IVcEAAAAQAAJ&dq=Nicholas+Carlisle, Nicholas Carlisle, ''A memoir of the life and works of William Wyon,'' privately printed (1837). On line.]

[[Category:StampBritish stamp designers|Wyon, William]]

[[Category:PeopleArtists from Birmingham, West Midlands]]