Geboorte van Lodewijk Filips Leopold Victor Ernest, kroonprins der Belgen 1833

This silver medal commemorates the birth of Leopold, Crown Prince of Belgium, crafted by Laurent Joseph Hart. On one side, we see the infant's profile, while the reverse depicts a radiant palace under a generous sun. The sun, an age-old symbol of life, renewal, and enlightenment, shines brightly, recalling the Apollonian ideal of clarity and reason. We see echoes of this motif in Egyptian sun-disk imagery, or even in the halos of Renaissance saints. Here, the sun's rays illuminate not just a building, but also the dawning of a new era with the birth of a royal heir. Note the neoclassical palace, a symbol of stability and power. Its image, however, reminds us of the fragile nature of human ambition, as even the mightiest empires eventually crumble to dust. This image invokes deep-seated emotions of hope and anxiety for the future. It is a poignant reminder of the cyclical nature of history.