France Alexndre Millerand - Président de la République - Bronze - 1920 par L. Bottée

This bronze medal commemorates the election of Alexandre Millerand to the presidency of the French Republic in 1920. It was designed by the medalist Louis-Alexandre Bottée.

The obverse of the medal features the portrait of Alexandre Millerand, facing right. The artist's signature, "L. BOTTEE", is discreetly inscribed under the portrait. The legend "ALEXANDRE. MILLERAND. PRÉSIDENT - R-F" encircles the representation, clearly identifying the subject and his function.

The reverse of the medal illustrates the commemorated event. A draped female figure in the antique style, symbolizing the Republic, is represented winged, wearing a laurel wreath and a Phrygian cap. She holds a veil above an urn, evoking the electoral process, and brandishes a trumpet. In the background, a representation of the National Assembly suggests the institutional context of the election. The signature "L. BOTTEE" is also present on this face. The legend "23 SEPTEMBRE 1920 // MILLERAND / ÉLU / PRÉSIDENT / DE LA / REPUBLIQUE / FRANCAISE" is arranged in several lines, recalling the date of the election and the name of the elected president.

Louis-Alexandre Bottée (1852-1940) was a renowned French medalist, having won the first Grand Prix de Rome for engraving in medals and fine stones in 1878. His style was sometimes associated with Art Nouveau, as evidenced by the plaque he created for the jury of the Exposition Universelle of 1900. He was elected a member of the Academy of Fine Arts in 1930.