Abraham Simon
Who was Abraham Simon?
English medallist (1617-1692)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Abraham Simon (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Abraham Simon (1617–1692) was an English medallist and painter from London who became known for his work with wax modelling and medal portraits in seventeenth-century Britain. While he might not be as famous today as some of his peers, he played an important role in the artistic scene of Stuart England, creating portrait medals and wax reliefs that depicted well-known figures of his time. His work fits into the broader European tradition of small-scale portrait art popular among the courts back then.
Abraham is best understood in relation to his brother Thomas Simon, a leading medallist of the century and the main engraver at the Royal Mint during both the Commonwealth and the monarchy's restoration. The brothers worked closely together, and Abraham's work shows the refined portrait style the Simon family was famous for. Historians are unsure whether Abraham directly assisted Thomas on projects or found clients on his own, but their connection influenced his career path.
Simon specialized in wax, a medium that held high regard among collectors and patrons in the seventeenth century. Wax portraits offered a personal and hands-on quality different from metal medals or painted miniatures, and skilled artists could earn good pay from courtly and aristocratic clients. Abraham's talent with wax, along with any paintings he created, placed him in a competitive but potentially rewarding artistic environment in London and beyond.
Details of Abraham Simon's personal life, training, and his full client list are not fully documented. Like many artists outside the major institutions of the time, his archival record is sparse. He died in London around 1692, having lived through some of the most turbulent times in English political history, from the reign of Charles I, through the Civil Wars, the Interregnum, the Restoration of Charles II, and into the reign of William and Mary.
Before Fame
Abraham Simon was born in London in 1617, during James I's reign, when the English court was embracing European art styles, and there was a growing market for portrait miniatures and medals among the wealthy. Specific details of his early training aren't recorded, but since he was closely linked with his brother Thomas, it's likely they learned art together, possibly from a master familiar with European medal portraiture.
London's art scene in the mid-seventeenth century, supported by Charles I and featuring foreign artists like Anthony van Dyck, was a great place for portrait artists. In this environment, influenced by European styles and courtly demand for fine portraits, Abraham Simon honed the skills in wax modeling and medal work that became the hallmark of his career.
Key Achievements
- Established a career as a medallist and wax portraitist in seventeenth-century London
- Worked closely alongside his brother Thomas Simon, contributing to a family practice at the forefront of English medallic art
- Produced portrait work in wax, a demanding and prestigious medium, for patrons of the Stuart period
- Maintained an active artistic practice spanning several decades through the upheavals of the English Civil War and Restoration
Did You Know?
- 01.Abraham Simon worked in wax portraiture, a medium highly prized by seventeenth-century collectors for its lifelike, three-dimensional quality.
- 02.His brother Thomas Simon served as Chief Engraver at the Royal Mint and produced the celebrated 'Petition Crown' of 1663, making the Simon family name well-known in English medallic art.
- 03.Abraham lived through the English Civil War, the execution of Charles I in 1649, the Cromwellian Interregnum, and the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660.
- 04.Despite working in the same field and era as his more famous brother, Abraham Simon's individual works are difficult to distinguish in surviving collections due to limited documentation.
- 05.Abraham Simon was born and died in London, spending his entire documented life in a city that was, during his lifetime, reshaped by the Great Plague of 1665 and the Great Fire of 1666.