Ludwig van Beethoven, Medaille - Bronzemedaille aus dem Jahr 1827 nach einem Entwurf von Leopold Heuberger, gerahmt, Fotografie, um 1890?

Among the Beethoven medals of the early 19th century the medal manufactured by Leopold Heuberger is particularly interesting. Whereas other medal artists depicted Beethoven"s profile and thus followed the traditional coin portrait, Heuberger chose to depict the composer"s front view.

His medal also differs in the way the composer"s features are shown. All typical elements of the Romantic Beethoven iconography are present: The composer"s hair is unkempt and wild, his face is grim and he wears a large coat wrapped around his shoulders.

These elements clearly point toward the Beethoven depictions of the mid 19th century. The medal can easily be distinguished from other Beethoven medals of the same period, which tend to idealise the composer"s features. (S.B.)