Overwinning bij Turnhout en het overmeesteren van negen steden door Maurits 1597

This silver medal, celebrating Maurits's victory at Turnhout, was crafted by Gerard van Bylaer. The medal's circular form is immediately striking, densely packed with figures in relief. These intricate shapes create a textured surface, pulling the eye into a detailed depiction of battle. The artist has skillfully used the limited space to convey depth and chaos. Notice how the figures closest to us are more defined, gradually flattening into a background of indistinct forms. This technique creates a sense of perspective, yet it also overwhelms the viewer with the sheer number of combatants. The chaotic composition challenges traditional heroic narratives, presenting war not as glorious, but as a dense and confusing event. Consider how the circular format itself functions. It encloses the battle, suggesting that war is a self-contained and perhaps cyclical phenomenon. The medal's form and content combine to offer not just a commemoration of victory, but a meditation on the nature of conflict itself.