Bloei van de stad Utrecht 1765

Curator: Before us, we have Johann Conrad Marmé’s 1765 metal engraving, "Bloei van de stad Utrecht," a commemorative coin reflecting the Neoclassical style. Editor: My first thought is that it is so ornate, like a secret language embedded in metal. The craftsmanship is just amazing considering the scale. Curator: Indeed. Coins like these served multiple functions. Of course they were currency, but they also operated as powerful tools of propaganda. Their imagery was carefully selected. In the 18th century, we are starting to see how objects such as coins function in displays of public authority, as part of larger networks of control. Editor: And on one side we see what looks like the city’s coat of arms, complete with a crown and intricate flourishes. It’s like a visual claim to power and lineage. I wonder about that crowned shield… what stories is it trying to tell, and why are we being shown these specific symbols and not others? Curator: That coat of arms is meant to invoke centuries of Utrecht's history, and the inscription reinforces the idea that the city’s flourishing is under divine guidance, as well as effective governance. Consider the economic and political climate of the Dutch Republic at the time; such declarations are seldom neutral, always serving the powers at be. Editor: Look at the reverse; the radiant sunburst above a cornucopia. The light beams feel divine, promising prosperity, plenty for the city, abundance, and grace. Together, they are such powerful messages of authority and blessing. I bet holding it feels like grasping a tiny piece of the city’s fortune. Curator: That’s the thing, coins touched so many hands in different social stations and locations. Marmé’s engraving really makes me consider the complex social dynamics surrounding Utrecht at that time, who benefited from its ‘bloei’ – or flourishing, as the title says—and who may have been excluded. Editor: Thinking about the choice of symbols—the radiant sun, the coat of arms, the overflowing cornucopia —all speak to foundational cultural beliefs and ideals. Curator: Exactly. We have seen that this small object is loaded with assertions about wealth, tradition, and divine blessing at a crucial time in the city’s development. Editor: Yes, I will remember the narrative power hidden within the luster of metal.