Ontmaskering van het Gunpowder Plot 1605

This silver medal commemorates the failed Gunpowder Plot against King James I of England. Made shortly after the event in 1605, it exemplifies the power of art as political propaganda. The imagery is dense with symbolism designed to demonize the conspirators. On one side, a snake, representing treachery, hides amidst the Catholic symbols of the lily and rose. The Latin inscription proclaims, "God scatters the works of the impious." The other side displays the Hebrew tetragrammaton, יהוה, or YHWH, the sacred name of God in Judaism, radiating light. Encircling it is another Latin phrase, "James' stars do not sleep." The medal's design draws upon prevailing anti-Catholic sentiments in England, portraying the failed plot as a diabolical scheme against the divinely ordained King James. Items like this were tools used by the state to solidify its authority. Historical documents, political pamphlets, and even sermons of the time, all help us understand the depth of anti-Catholic feeling at the time, and provide the context for this piece of art.