Maria Elisabeth van Oostenrijk, ingehuldigd als landvoogdes der zuidelijke Nederlanden 1726

This silver medal was made by Philippe Roëttiers to commemorate Maria Elisabeth of Austria becoming Governor of the Southern Netherlands. Medals such as this one were used in the early modern period to commemorate important events and to spread political messages. The medal depicts Maria Elisabeth in profile, as a powerful and respected leader. On the reverse is an eagle, a symbol associated with empires since Roman times, perched above what appears to be a lion, one of the symbols of the Netherlands. The medal’s imagery, inscription, and function all tell us a lot about the cultural role of art in the 18th century. The symbolism of this piece is clearly designed to convey that the Austrian empire protects the Dutch people. Understanding the meaning of this piece requires us to look at both the iconography and the historical context in which it was made. We can better understand the function of the work by researching the history of commemorative medals and the relationship between the Southern Netherlands and Austria in the early 1700s.