Medal Commemorating Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819) and the Battle of Lake Erie

Moritz Fürst

Cleveland Museum of Art

The image shows a bronze medal commemorating Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie. The medal has two sides. The left side features a profile of a man in military uniform facing right. He has curly hair and a high collar. The man's uniform has epaulets on the shoulders and buttons down the front. The words around the edge of this side are in Latin. The right side depicts a naval battle scene with ships on the water and smoke rising from them. There are three American ships on the left and three British ships on the right. The American ships are flying American flags. The words around the edge of this side are also in Latin. There are several lines of text at the bottom of this side, also in Latin. The medal is bronze-colored with darker areas that suggest patina. The background of the image is gray, with shadows under each side of the medal. The lighting is artificial and even. The medal appears to be displayed on a flat surface. The overall impression is one of a historical artifact.