The Arcadian Shepherds (Et in Arcadia ego) [obverse]

Alphée Dubois

National Gallery of Art

This sculpture is a round golden medallion with a detailed design carved in relief. The scene on the medallion features four people standing and kneeling in front of a large rectangular object that looks like a monument or tombstone. Three of the people wear togas and hold long objects with curved ends, and two of them have circlets of leaves over their short hair. The fourth person on the right wears a long, draped garment and a cloth covering over their long hair. They look to the left, towards what the other three are doing. Surrounding the group are several tall trees. The medallion's edge has a beaded border for decoration. Inscribed at the bottom are the words "ET AMENT MEMINISSE PERITI," with a smaller line of text below them.