“This striking bronze medal honors Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, a leading surgeon, with a classically styled portrait and an allegorical scene celebrating medical discovery.”
This bronze medal, created in 1841, is a commemorative tribute to Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, a prominent surgeon and pathologist of his time. On one side, Brodie is depicted in a dignified profile, his features rendered with a classical precision that was a hallmark of medal engraving in the mid-19th century. The reverse side features an allegorical scene: a seated female figure, representing perhaps the pursuit of knowledge or medicine, gestures toward a caduceus, a traditional symbol of healing. The overall composition reflects the era's reverence for scientific advancement and the recognition of individuals who pushed the boundaries of medical understanding. The choice of bronze, a durable and noble material, underscores the lasting impact of Brodie's contributions to surgery and pathology, marking him as a figure worthy of enduring honor.
- Artist
- William Wyon
- Date
- 1841
- Medium
- Bronze
- Location
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Dimensions
- Diameter: 2 7/8 in. (7.3 cm)
- Collection
- European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
- Culture
- British, London
- Credit line
- Rogers Fund, 1908
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The detailed profile of Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie on the obverse.
The classical drapery and pose of the allegorical figure on the reverse.
The caduceus symbol, entwined with serpents, held by the figure.
The Latin inscription encircling Brodie's portrait.
Stand in front of it and listen
The full narration walks you through In Honor of the Surgical and Pathological Discoveries of Sir Benjamin Collins Brodie, Bart., Sergeant-Surgeon to George IV, William IV, and Victoria (1783–1862) — the story behind it, the details most visitors miss, and why it matters. Free in the Art Whisper app.
William Wyon
1795–1851 · British EmpireWilliam Wyon, Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint, left an indelible mark on British coinage and even the world's first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black.
Further Works by Wyon
George III "Incorrupta" crown
1817 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
"Three Graces" crown
1817 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Study for "Flying Victory"
1825 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
George IV crown
1826 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Coronation of William IV
1831 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
William IV proof crown
1831 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Queen Victoria's Visit to the Corporation of London
1837 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Victoria proof sovereign
1837 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
More works to explore
Beyond Wyon: works from the same years.
Same era · 1820s–1850s
The Estuary Farm
Léon-Victor Dupré · 1831 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1820s–1850s
The Virgin Adoring the Host
Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres · 1841 · Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
Same era · 1820s–1850s
Stormy Sea Breaking on a Shore
J. M. W. Turner · 1840 · Yale Center for British Art
Same era · 1820s–1850s
Hamlet and Horatio in the Graveyard
Eugène Delacroix · 1839 · Department of Paintings of the Louvre
Same era · 1820s–1850s
Young Woman
Jean-François Millet · 1844 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1820s–1850s
Wooded Landscape
Gustave Courbet · 1848 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1820s–1850s
Mount Chocorua and Moat Mountain from North Conway
William Hart · 1850
Same era · 1820s–1850s
Olive Trees
Vincent van Gogh · 1853 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1820s–1850s
Woman in a Blue Dress
School of William Matthew Prior · 1840 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1820s–1850s
Designs for a Decorated Dish, or Platter, and a Biscuit Barrel
Alfred Henry Forrester [Alfred Crowquill] · 1845 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1820s–1850s
Mr. James Mackie
Samuel Alcock & Company · 1830 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1820s–1850s
The Captive Slave (Ira Aldridge)
John Philip Simpson · 1827 · Art Institute of Chicago
