Léonard Morel Ladeuil (French, 1820–1888), designer
Elkington & Company (Birmingham, UK), maker
The Milton Shield, 1866–67
Electroplated copper with silver and gold, mounted on ebonized wood
34 × 26 in.
The Milton Shield is one of the most famous examples of 19th-century repoussé metalwork. Designed by French sculptor Léonard Morel Ladeuil and produced by Elkington & Company in Birmingham, it commemorates the bicentenary of John Milton’s Paradise Lost (1667). The central panel depicts Adam and Eve, while surrounding scenes illustrate the celestial battle between Lucifer and the hosts of heaven, echoing the grandeur of Renaissance parade armor made for Emperor Charles V.
Unveiled at the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1867—an event visited by more than six million people and featuring over 15,000 exhibitors—the shield won the prestigious Medal of Honor and was hailed as one of the finest works on display. It was crafted using a groundbreaking electroplating process that fused silver and gold onto copper, with additional hand chasing and gilding to enhance detail.
Examples of the Milton Shield are held in major collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, underscoring its enduring status as a tour de force of Victorian design and craftsmanship.
