artist.shtml biography jean-de-marco

Artist Name


birth5/2/1898 in Paris, FrancePicture of de Marco
death1990 in Middletown, Connecticut
parents
education Ecole National des Arts Decoratifs in Paris
awards Saltus Gold Medal (1947),
Cannon Prize (1956),
Watrous Medal (1966)

De Marco was born of Italian parents in Paris. While still living there, he served four years as an apprentice in a sculptor's studio and worked for the foundry of Claude Valsuani. When Paul Bartlett died in Paris in 1925, his widow hired de Marco to cast many of her husband's sketches and unfinished works in bronze. De Marco emigrated to the United States where he became a naturalized citizen and, in 1936, married American sculptor Clara Fasano.

He has specialized in the creation of religious sculpture. Among his public works are reliefs of Moses and Saint Louis executed in the late 1940's for the House Chamber of the United States Capitol. He has also produced a number of copper engravings. De Marco has taught sculpture at Bennett Junior College, Millbrook, New York; at the school of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; at Columbia University, New York, and at the Academy school from 1959 to 1968. For works exhibited in its annuals, he has received the Academy's Saltus Gold Medal in 1947, Cannon Prize in 1956, and Watrous Medal in 1966.

His papers are kept at Syracuse University.

I did not manage to find a lot about de Marco. If you are a descendent or have more information about him, please contact me. Sourced mainly from the National Academy's site.



You can click on the medals to see the reverse.

  • Music and Drama 1958
    SOM-58.1
    Matte olive green patina
    SOM-58.3
    Silver

    This medal was chosen as the 58th issue of the prestigious Society of Medalists series in 1958. The obverse bears seated clown with horn, neatly filling the circular field.

    The reverse bears lyre, masks of tragedy and comedy. Above, MUSIC; below, DRAMA; at lower edge, J. de MARCO ©.

    Like many other Society of Medalists artists he designed a medal reminiscent of one of his other works, in this case an etching that is now in the collection of the National Academy.

    The finish in particular did not meet with wide-spread approval among the members of the Society. While members appreciated that de Marco intentionally contrasted the lightness of the theme with the darkness of the finish, many just could not find the end result pleasing.

    There is apparently at least one exemplar in bright golden bronze that was struck in Medallic Art's Danbury facility and is correspondingly edge marked.

    This medal measures 73mm in diameter and was struck by the Medallic Art Company of New York. The reported production quantity of this medal is 673 in bronze and an unknown quantity in silver.

    SOM-58.1
    Bronze
    73.0mm (2.87in)
    Matte olive green patina
    THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 58TH ISSUE - NOVEMBER 1958 JEAN DE MARCO, SC.
    MEDALLIC ART CO.N.Y. BRONZE
    SOM-58.2
    Bronze
    73.0mm (2.87in)
    Bright golden bronze with light tan patina
    THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 58TH ISSUE - NOVEMBER 1958 JEAN DE MARCO, SC.
    MEDALLIC ART CO.-DANBURY, CT.-BRONZE
    SOM-58.3
    Silver
    73.0mm (2.87in)
    THE SOCIETY OF MEDALISTS 58TH ISSUE - NOVEMBER 1958 JEAN DE MARCO, SC.

  • Standing Woman

    Standing Woman (circa 1920)

    This sculpture measures approximately 20in x 10in x 7in. It is suggestive of Art Deco design.

    This image is from the website of the art resource group, a fine art and appraisal service in Newport Beach.

  • Iron Pouring (1941)

    Iron Pouring

    This cast Aluminium panel hangs in the lobby of the historic Danville, Pennsylvania post office. De Marco created this panel while working for the Fine Arts section of the Work Progress Administration (New Deal). The panel shows steel workers around a cauldron of molten iron.

    In the 19th century, Danville was a major center of iron manufacturing that contributed significantly to America's expansion. With the help of English experts, Danville produced the nation's first T-rail for railroad tracks. With great demand from the railroad industry, the steel industry generated employment for 1,100 people.

    A bigger version of this image is available at Voices of Central PA. I could not locate anyone to ask for permission to use the image, so please let me know if there is a problem with it and I will replace it with a straight link to the original site.

  • Clown with Horn

    Untitled (Clown with Horn) (1950)

    This work measures 16in x 12 11/16in and shows a clown blowing into a horn. The medium is etching and aquatint, printed in brown ink on cream wove paper.

    National Academy Museum, New York, Gift of Ernest Morenon.



Contact me if you have links that might merit inclusion on this page.

Books & Articles

American Art Medals, 1909-1995 by David Thomason Alexander
David T. Alexander's book can be purchased at the above link. Highly recommended for anyone interested in SOM. I am deeply indebted to him for all the information I used to document the SOM medals on this site.

Research Archives and Websites

Museums