Overwinning van de Oostenrijkers onder de hertog Radetzky op de Italianen bij Custoza en Novara 1850

This medal, crafted by Johann Michael Scharff, commemorates the Austrian victory over the Italians at Custoza and Novara. Note the figure of the winged angel, a classical symbol of victory, whose roots go back to ancient Greece, where Nike, the goddess of victory, was often depicted with wings. The angel here, however, holds no laurel wreath, but instead extends her hand, perhaps offering a delicate blessing. This gesture has echoes of religious iconography. It suggests not only triumph but also divine favor, and reminds us of the complex psychological dance between power and moral justification. Such symbolic encoding is not static. The angel, once a symbol of pure triumph, softens, revealing a concern with legitimizing power through moral or divine approval. The reappearance and evolution of symbols, like this angel, reveal the enduring human need to cloak power in layers of emotional and moral significance.