Patrick JOUENNE, MOF carpenter in 2011 and head of the carpenters for the spire and transepts of Notre-Dame de Paris, entrusted me with the creation of a medal for the carpenters of the beautiful Notre-Dame.
It all starts with a first contact, a message on my phone. A MOF calls another MOF, but the message is not yet fully clear. It’s about creating a medal for his colleagues in memory of a collective work, and what a work it is! It’s November 2023. This MOF is Patrick JOUENNE, carpenter in the class of 2011. He is the “Gâcheur” of the carpenters working on the spire and transepts of Notre-Dame de Paris. This project is out of the ordinary.
I’m very proud and touched to be entrusted with this creation. It’s a great way for me to make my contribution to this emblematic project to rebuild Notre-Dame de Paris.
Step 1: Modeling the 3D bas-relief sculpture
Collaborative work begins to find the best point of view. Patrick provides me with the best elements and his best collaborators to define the right angles. Yoann sends me the 3D files. My idea is to show what, in the end, is no longer visible: the framework supporting the roofs and the spire.
So we had to adopt a viewpoint from below, so as to be almost in the position of a visitor passing in the street.
And to unequivocally identify the cathedral as a Parisian landmark, the two towers of Notre-Dame de Paris in the background had to be incorporated into the composition. Once the motifs are in place, I create the sculpture by redrawing all the elements: beams, rafters, towers, as well as the rhythms and depths… And finally, I place the texts and logos on the reverse.
Step 2: Engraved and hand-finished dies
With my 3D file finalized, we machine the steel dies to scale 1. Then, the obverse and reverse dies are hand-worked under a microscope to redraw, attenuate, create plane transitions and accentuate certain details. In places, I subtly chisel the backgrounds.
The final step in the engraving process is my signature.
Step 3: Final inspection
The engravings on the dies are upside down and recessed. Control is important at every stage, to ensure that the project goes as far as possible without error. To this end, the first checks are carried out with a plastiline impression, to verify the details worked in, observe the evolution and ensure that the engraving conforms. This stage is both aesthetic, in order to get as close as possible to the subject, and technical, as the aim is also to manage draft and try to limit excessive differences in planes.
For the final check, a lead proof is made to see the entire engraving upright. All this is done before the steels are tempered and the medals edited.
Step 4: Medals issued by FIA
FIA is responsible for editing the medals. The obverse and reverse dies are attached to the friction balance. The metal blanks are prepared and then, one by one, placed on the die. The worm is turned and the hammer with the reverse falls onto the metal blank, which deforms and takes the impression. Each blank is then annealed in an oven, allowing each blank to be re-stamped until the full relief is achieved.
Finally, the blanks are turned to adjust the medal’s diameter. A ball and ring are then soldered onto the medal. The medals are then patinated, some in bronze and most in silver. Two solid silver medals were produced.
Step 5: Sewing the ribbons woven by Neyret
At the same time, we worked with Neyret to design the ribbons. They wove each ribbon with three colors of thread. All that’s left is to sew them on and place them on the medals.
You can follow all the steps involved in the creation, engraving and production of this exceptional medal by clicking on the link to the film.
This film was directed by Adel Hassani – thank you.
Thank you to all my collaborators and the precious “little hands” who helped bring this creation to fruition.
On July 19, 2024, Gaëtan Genès, president of ESBC, gathered his guests to present the first medals (created at the request of Patrick JOUENNE) to his collaborators who worked on the spire and transepts of Notre-Dame de Paris.
Thank you Patrick Jouenne for entrusting me with this creation.
Thank you to all my collaborators and the precious “little hands” who helped bring this creation to fruition.
To discover :
Medal publisher: FIA
Woven ribbon production: Neyret