The Gershom Mendes
Seixas Medal, issued in 1975
Before arriving at the final reverse design of the Seixas
medal, Ms. Wiener prepared drawings showing several different variations of the
congregants, led by Seixas, leaving the Spanish-Portuguese Synagogue when the
British captured New York. She even experimented with a round shape.
The menorah (candelabrum) was at various times held by the
figure on the far right, or it was very large and held by the second figure
from the left. The drawings were sent to Wacks on 8/24/75, after the medal was completed.
Gerta Ries Wiener finds fault with the finish of the Seixas
medals (3/18/06): “Did you notice that each of the 3 Seixas medals are
different? And I think that neither of them are as carefully done as the
Brandeis one. They seem ‘overrubbed’ so that fine details disappear and the
forms lose their sharpness. On one there is no ‘antiquing’ at all. I’m glad I saw
this, and will be very sparing with small detail on the Henrietta Szold medal,
especially on the side I’m now working on – the one with all the children. The
finished portrait side is simple anyway.”
Seixas bronze
medal
