This medallion belongs to the singular body of works known as Compignés, a refined production situated at the crossroads of engraving, painting and the decorative arts, developed in Paris during the second half of the 18th century. Made by Thomas Compigné, tabletier du roi, it exemplifies the technical virtuosity and aesthetic ambition that secured his reputation among elite collectors of his time.



The art of Compigné

Compigné’s art is founded on an original process combining engraved matrices, stamping, and polychromy. Drawing on engraved sources, the tabletier translated complex compositions onto tortoiseshell or tin supports by means of finely engraved bronze matrices worked on the lathe. This technique allowed for remarkable precision in relief, particularly in architectural elements and water surfaces, while leaving room for variation through the application of gouache and gold highlights. The resulting objects occupy an ambiguous territory between painting and precious object, conceived not as mere images but as works of material and technical sophistication.



A view of the Port of Bordeaux

The composition of this medallion derives from a well-known engraved view of the port of Bordeaux seen from the Quai des Farines, after Nicolas-Marie Ozanne and engraved by Yves-Marie Le Gouaz in 1776. Bordeaux, at that time one of France’s most important commercial ports, was frequently represented in prints celebrating maritime activity, urban modernity and economic prosperity. Compigné faithfully preserved the general structure of the engraved model—the alignment of façades along the quay, the animated foreground with figures and merchandise, and the moored ships—while subtly simplifying certain details to suit the constraints of stamping and the intimate scale of the object. The sky, treated in gouache, introduces a painterly dimension that distinguishes each version and reinforces the uniqueness of the piece.



A collector piece

Such views of ports and cities occupy a central place in Compigné’s repertoire. Like his representations of Versailles, Paris, or royal residences, they reflect the Enlightenment taste for topographical accuracy combined with decorative refinement. By transposing these compositions into medallions, Compigné transformed printed images into collectible works intended for cabinets of curiosities or luxurious interiors. These medallions were sometimes mounted on snuffboxes or integrated into other precious objects; in other cases, they were conceived as autonomous works, framed and displayed as miniature tableaux.

The present medallion fully embodies this notion of the refined collector’s object. Its small scale invites close viewing, while the richness of its materials—tin heightened with gold, delicate polychromy, and an elegant frame—asserts its status as a luxury creation. Neither purely pictorial nor strictly ornamental, it reflects the taste of an enlightened clientele drawn to objects that combined technical ingenuity, contemporary iconography and precious craftsmanship.



As such, this Compigné medallion stands as a particularly eloquent testimony to the culture of collecting in late 18th-century France. It illustrates how urban views, disseminated through prints, could be elevated into unique works of art through the intervention of a master tabletier, and how technical innovation served the creation of objects conceived to delight both the eye and the intellect.