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SOM#008, Gatano Cecere, Pagasus and Men - No Easy Way to the Stars, 1933
Bronze, 73 mm, 284 g

[i]Numbers Issued:  1,287 Bronze, 125 Silver[/i]

[b][i]"non est ad astra mollis a terris via"[/i]

There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.[/b]

IN THESE WORDS, Seneca, the Roman philosopher expressed a great universal truth and in this medal I have tried to express this thought in plastic form.

In the upward surge and force of the figures that strain to reach the heights with Pegasus, symbol of the spiritual and the ideal.  I ahve tried to convey the age-old inner urge of a larger portion of humanity - its never ceasing struggle to free form the bondage of the sordid and material, its aspiration toward a higher plane of existence.

The reverse of the medal shows rugged peaks, symbolizing the difficulties of life, rising high above a sturdy little tree, which stands firm and undaunted with uplifted branches seeking to grow closer to the stars.

At this time in the world's history, when the burdens of humanity are heavier than ever before, it seems fitting to dedicate this medal to those who are fighting adversities while retaining their vision of a higher goal.

GAETANO CECERE.
November 1, 1933.

[b][i]About the Artist[/i][/b]

Gaetano Cecere, sculptor of the eighth issue of the Society of Medalists, was born in New York City in 1894.  He received his art education in his native city.  Beginning at the National Academy of Design, his studies continued at the Beaux Arts Institute, where he won the coveted Prix de Rome in 1920, a generous scholarship providing three years of study in Italy.  While abroad he traveled extensively, spending much time in Greece, held there by a deep interest in the beauty and simplicity of Greek art, particularly of the earlier period.

In 1924 he won the Helen Foster Barnett Prize for Sculpture at the National Academy of Design in New York.  He received Honorable Mention for sculpture at the Chicago Art Institute in 1927, the James McClees Prize at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, in 1930.  The Garden Club of America awarded him in 1929 and again in 1930 their prize for garden sculpture.

Some of his most important commissions have been the war memorials in the New Jersey cities of Plainfield, Clifton and Princeton, also Astoria, Long Island.  He executed the pediment group on the Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown, Ohio.  He designed and modelled The Soldier's Medal for the United States Army, the Princeton University Commemorative medal, and the Columbia Broadcasting Company medal awarded for distinguised service in the broadcasting field.  He is now at work on a heroic statue of Lincoln, a commission he won in a nationwide competition and which is to be erected on the Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Keywords: SOM birks_nude_male

SOM#008, Gatano Cecere, Pagasus and Men - No Easy Way to the Stars, 1933

Bronze, 73 mm, 284 g

Numbers Issued: 1,287 Bronze, 125 Silver

"non est ad astra mollis a terris via"

There is no easy way from the earth to the stars.


IN THESE WORDS, Seneca, the Roman philosopher expressed a great universal truth and in this medal I have tried to express this thought in plastic form.

In the upward surge and force of the figures that strain to reach the heights with Pegasus, symbol of the spiritual and the ideal. I ahve tried to convey the age-old inner urge of a larger portion of humanity - its never ceasing struggle to free form the bondage of the sordid and material, its aspiration toward a higher plane of existence.

The reverse of the medal shows rugged peaks, symbolizing the difficulties of life, rising high above a sturdy little tree, which stands firm and undaunted with uplifted branches seeking to grow closer to the stars.

At this time in the world's history, when the burdens of humanity are heavier than ever before, it seems fitting to dedicate this medal to those who are fighting adversities while retaining their vision of a higher goal.

GAETANO CECERE.
November 1, 1933.

About the Artist

Gaetano Cecere, sculptor of the eighth issue of the Society of Medalists, was born in New York City in 1894. He received his art education in his native city. Beginning at the National Academy of Design, his studies continued at the Beaux Arts Institute, where he won the coveted Prix de Rome in 1920, a generous scholarship providing three years of study in Italy. While abroad he traveled extensively, spending much time in Greece, held there by a deep interest in the beauty and simplicity of Greek art, particularly of the earlier period.

In 1924 he won the Helen Foster Barnett Prize for Sculpture at the National Academy of Design in New York. He received Honorable Mention for sculpture at the Chicago Art Institute in 1927, the James McClees Prize at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia, in 1930. The Garden Club of America awarded him in 1929 and again in 1930 their prize for garden sculpture.

Some of his most important commissions have been the war memorials in the New Jersey cities of Plainfield, Clifton and Princeton, also Astoria, Long Island. He executed the pediment group on the Stambaugh Auditorium in Youngstown, Ohio. He designed and modelled The Soldier's Medal for the United States Army, the Princeton University Commemorative medal, and the Columbia Broadcasting Company medal awarded for distinguised service in the broadcasting field. He is now at work on a heroic statue of Lincoln, a commission he won in a nationwide competition and which is to be erected on the Lincoln Memorial Bridge in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

SOM#004-combo.jpg SOM#005-combo.jpg SOM#006-combo~0.jpg SOM#007-combo.jpg SOM#008-combo.jpg SOM#009-combo.jpg SOM#010-combo.jpg SOM#011-combo.jpg SOM#012-combo-blue.jpg