William Wyon (1795-1851), the most celebrated of the Wyon family of medallists, was the eldest son of Peter Wyon, with whom he apprenticed. In London, he aided his uncle Thomas Wyon the elder in engraving, and shortly thereafter was chosen to fill the post of second engraver. When the chief engraver, Thomas Wyon junior died, Benedetto Pistrucci, the noted gem engraver and favorite of the Master of the Mint, was appointed to the vacant office. William Wyon resented this nomination and differences arose between the two artists. A compromise was reached when Wyon was made Chief Engraver and Pistrucci received the designation of Chief Medallist. According to Forrer, Wyon’s head of Queen Victoria used on coinage, by combining beauty of design and perfect execution, received universal approbation and still ranks as one of the noblest productions in the British numismatic series.

This medal is one from a series sponsored by the Art Union of London. The Art Union of London was a society founded in 1837 to foster and encourage interest in the fine arts. Between 1845 and 1887 it sponsored the production of thirty medals with the portrait of eminent artists on the obverse and an illustration of their work on the reverse. These medals were struck in very limited number, up to a few hundred in bronze and about 30 in silver.

The present laudatory medal was commissioned in 1851, the year of William Wyon’s death.