1914 Gold Medal George Inness Award 60mm Tiffany & Co.

Coin Details

Description

The 1914 George Inness Award gold medal at 60mm, produced by Tiffany & Co., is a distinguished art prize named after the American landscape painter George Inness (1825-1894). Inness was regarded as one of the foremost landscape artists of the nineteenth century, whose work evolved from the detailed naturalism of the Hudson River School toward the atmospheric, tonalist style of his later career. His paintings, including "The Lackawanna Valley" and "Autumn Oaks," are considered masterpieces of American art. At 60mm in diameter and struck in gold, this is a substantial and valuable medal representing one of the premier awards in the American art world of its era. Tiffany & Co., founded in 1837, maintained a distinguished medallic art department that produced some of the finest American medals of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Their work was characterized by meticulous craftsmanship, elegant design, and the use of precious metals that befitted the prestige of the awards they created. The George Inness Award was established to recognize excellence in landscape painting, honoring artists whose work demonstrated the mastery of light, atmosphere, and natural form that characterized Inness's own practice. Art prize medals from this era represent a convergence of numismatic craftsmanship and institutional patronage, with organizations commissioning prominent jewelers and die-sinkers to create objects worthy of the achievements they honored.

Rarity Notes

Gold art prize medals from Tiffany & Co. are rare by nature, typically struck as unique or nearly unique presentation pieces. The 60mm diameter and gold composition indicate a major award. The George Inness Award was among the more prestigious art prizes of the early twentieth century.

Cross References

PCGS #932884; Tiffany & Co.; George Inness (1825-1894)