Terechtstelling van Lodewijk XVI 1793

Curator: Well, here's an artifact that encapsulates a turning point. This medal, titled "Terechtstelling van Lodewijk XVI," or "Execution of Louis XVI," was created in 1793, and offers a chilling glimpse into the fervor of the French Revolution. Editor: It’s austere, isn't it? Even cold. It's remarkable how the artist uses such rigid classical realism to convey a brutal act. It's like, no room for sentiment, just cold hard… metal and facts. Curator: Absolutely. The imagery resonates with Neoclassical ideals but serves to document a seismic shift. The medal presents two sides: one with the portrait of Louis XVI, surrounded by Latin inscription, the other side with a depiction of Louis, dethroned. Editor: Dethroned, alright. He looks despondent, resigned, which really gets you in the gut, given the context. There's an executioner's axe prominently displayed; Liberty, represented here by the royal sceptre, presides nearby. What is that inscription on that side? Curator: That reads HEC SERO, SED GRAVITER. Loosely translated, "Late, but Heavily." An evaluation, perhaps, on the consequences of regicide. The message seems heavy with consequence. Editor: It really punches you, even now. I mean, a little metal disc holding so much trauma and the dawn of such radical changes. It is interesting how revolutions can have very different consequences. Some set us free, and some send us on a completely new path. And how images and symbolism get employed – then later re-interpreted. Curator: Precisely. It's a fascinating visual artifact to think about. This little medal invites so many threads—power, justice, historical memory. It is not just something aesthetic; it carries the weight of cultural memory itself. Editor: Okay, point taken, my initial impression of coldness has given way to awe and also unease. I feel its weight for sure. So much is possible...and at what price? This tiny disc sparks questions that keep burning, doesn't it?