Prijspenning met bijbehorende doos 1912

This bronze prize medal was made in 1912 by the Koninklijke Utrechtsche Fabriek van Zilverwerken van C.J. Begeer, probably using a stamping process. It's interesting to consider the object in terms of mark-making, even though it's not painting. The hand clutching the torch is so crisply rendered, especially in contrast to the background details of scaffolding and architectural structures. The buildings are almost smudged, whereas the hand and the flame feel incredibly present. The patina of the bronze gives it a tactile warmth. I want to touch it! The way the light catches the high points of the design, makes you think about what it means to hold something, to reach for an ideal. Maybe that's the torch, maybe it's the medal itself. It reminds me a little of the work of Jan Toorop, another Dutch artist working at the turn of the century, who was interested in the way that simple forms could carry complex meanings. The medal becomes a symbol, but of what? It's up to you to decide.