Gevecht bij Soestdijk, afslag van het draagteken door de Staten van Utrecht uitgereikt aan F.W. Erpel en J.L. Seyffardt, kolonel en majoor van het regiment Hessen-Darmstadt 1787 - 1788

This silver medal was created by Johan George Holtzhey to commemorate a battle near Soestdijk. Awarded by the States of Utrecht to military leaders, these objects were meant to publicly honor those who defended the established order. Medals like this functioned as both rewards and propaganda. On one side, we see a triumphant, angelic figure standing over defeated foes, a clear visual encoding of military success. On the other, an inscription details the recipients and the awarding body, reinforcing the authority of the state. Made in the Dutch Republic, these medals reflect the complex political landscape of the late 18th century, a period marked by internal strife between Patriots and Orangists. The medal is not just a work of art but a historical document, one that speaks to the social conditions of its time, and serves as a reminder of the role that symbols and rewards play in maintaining power. To fully understand such objects, historians delve into archives, study political pamphlets, and analyze the visual language of the era. It is through this contextual understanding that art truly speaks.