La Guerre

Hubert Ponscarme was a master of low-relief small-format bronze sculpture. Here he expertly modulated between soft and sharp gradients of relief within a depth of only a few millimeters. The design is his version of the head of the goddess Roma on the silver denarius, a coin of the Roman Republic. To make her a representation of war, Ponscarme added the oak leaves of the Civic Crown, a Roman military decoration, to the winged Phrygian helmet, with its distinctive forward-facing crest. He also gave the goddess a frowning gaze, executed in tight, sharp planes that contrast with the soft contours of the crown, hair, and wings.