André Galle

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André Galle
André Galle (1822), portrait by Antoine-Jean Gros
Born	(1761-05-27)27 May 1761
Died	22 December 1844(1844-12-22) (aged 83) Paris, France
Nationality	French
Known for	Engraving

André Galle (27 May 1761,

André's father was an engraver who specialized in decorating rifles. Unable to support his family in Saint-Étienne, he relocated to Lyon, where André became an apprentice in a button factory, but also received drawing lessons. His work attracted the attention of a local artist named Bergeon, who helped him gain admission to the Academy of Lyon. At the factory, his problem-solving and technical abilities led to his being named a partner. In 1779, aged only eighteen, he married Marie-Catherine, née Lejeune.,

After the factory owner and his wife had died, Galle became the company's sole proprietor. He focused on the engraving and production of medals, and became a Master Engraver in 1785. Four years later, he opened his own engraving studio, where he appears to have specialized in seals and stamps for various Revolutionary organizations.

In 1792, as a result of these activities, the City of Lyon appointed him a delegate to Paris, to discuss the use of metal from bells. There, he produced two coins from bell metal, one of which depicted Mirabeau, an early leader of the Revolution. This prompted the Committee of Public Safety to commission a medal of Hercules and the Hydra; symbolizing the French people destroying the Monarchy.

He decided to remain in Paris; working with Augustin Dupré, the Engraver General of coins and medals. Later, he would produce a series of medals celebrating the French campaign in Egypt and Syria and, in collaboration with Romain-Vincent Jeuffroy, one for the occasion of Napoleon's coronation as Emperor.

His later career is largely marked by a series of awards and appointments. In 1809, he obtained one of the

Further reading

• Charles de Franqueville, Le Premier Siècle de l'Institut de France, Vol.I, Paris, Rothschild, 1895, pg.341
• Jean-Marie Darnis: "Galle, André". In:
  ISBN 3-598-22788-4
  , pg.14

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to André Galle.

• Biographical data and references from the Comité des travaux historiques et scientifiques @ La France Savante