Vrede van Rastatt, penning ter ere van Francisca Sybilla, prinses-weduwe van Baden-Baden en Lodewijk Georg, markgraaf van Baden-Baden 1714

This medal was designed by Georg Wilhelm Vestner, probably around 1714, to honor Francisca Sybilla and Lodewijk Georg, the Margrave and Princess of Baden-Baden. The images and inscriptions on the medal create meaning through the visual codes and historical associations that were part of the culture of the Holy Roman Empire. The portraits of the Margrave and Princess, the heraldic symbols, the Latin inscriptions, and the image of the palace work together to convey power and authority. This society was highly stratified, and status symbols were integral to the maintenance of hierarchy. It seems likely that Vestner was commissioned by the court to produce the medal, which might have been distributed to members of the court and to other elites within the Empire. The historian would consult archival sources to understand better the social and political context in which the medal was produced. The meaning of art is contingent on such contexts, and its study allows us to comprehend the politics of imagery.