Abraham Dupré

Abraham Dupré was the fourth child of Guillaume. He was very carefully trained by his father and worked as a bronze founder, medalist and most probably, a sculptor. His first medal (NGA 1957.14.1167) is dated 1624. Some of Abraham's medals are identical in style to the work of his father, and medals produced after the death of Guillaume are technically equal in both quality and style. Abraham signed only seven medals and appears to have been employed principally as a founder. He succeeded to the offices held by his father, assisting in the work of canon-founding from the 1620s and working with him in Piedmont at Pignerol (Pinerolo) in 1633. Abraham is recorded as still being in the service of Savoy in 1637. In Paris Abraham served for one year in 1639 as Contrôleur Général des Poinçons and then became, in December 1640, Commissaire Général des Fontes de l'Artillerie de France on the death of his father.

Text © National Gallery of Art, 2020