Vrede van Rijswijk 1697

This small silver medal, called Vrede van Rijswijk, was created by Philippe Roëttiers the Younger, likely around 1697. The imagery alludes to the Treaty of Rijswijk, which temporarily halted French expansionism. Like all medals, this one was produced through a series of processes. First, a design would have been engraved into steel dies. These would then be used to strike the silver, impressing the image in relief. Notice the incredibly fine detail Roettiers achieved, especially on the figures of the triumphant leaders. The act of striking these coins was far from neutral. It was tied to both politics and economics. Each medal legitimized the Treaty of Rijswijk as well as the Dutch Republic, and the labor of the engravers was the product of highly skilled work. Even in something so small, we see a confluence of craft, design, and political ambition. This medal challenges the division between art object and historical document.