Aanneming van Engelse vrijhandelswetten 1846 1846

Curator: Let's discuss this fascinating bronze medal, "Aanneming van Engelse vrijhandelswetten 1846," crafted by Allen & Moore. It's currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. Editor: It immediately strikes me as a somewhat self-congratulatory object. It feels like a visual pat on the back for figures involved in the free trade laws. The subdued, metallic sheen contributes to an aura of understated, yet profound importance. Curator: Indeed. Note the dual portraits. On one side, we see Richard Cobden, named “The Champion of Free Trade.” On the obverse, the inscription commemorates “The Passing of Sir Robert Peel’s Free Trade Measures, June 26, 1846, Royal Assent June 26 1846”. The composition centers the figures as symbols. Editor: It's vital to understand the social impact behind this 'free trade'. While celebrated by some, these policies dramatically altered labor structures and the accessibility of goods in Britain and abroad, creating disparities that disproportionately affected colonized populations. How are those disparities visualized here? How is this medallion celebrating structural violence? Curator: The artistic style nods to Romanticism, lending a heroic idealization. However, the emphasis isn’t solely on expressive brushwork, as one might find in history painting of the time, but on clean lines and precise representation emblematic of the individuals involved. Editor: Right, it serves as a potent reminder of how objects can actively participate in constructing narratives, specifically a heroic, male-centered narrative. It speaks to how power is preserved in material form. Even the use of bronze, with its historical associations of wealth and authority, lends credence to this observation. Curator: In summary, the medallion presents an intriguing exercise in classical composition fused with historical specificity, and rendered in such a way as to reinforce power dynamics. Editor: A concise summary. For me, this bronze disc echoes with the ongoing repercussions of free trade on colonized nations and its continuing legacy of exploitation.