Verdrag van Venlo tussen Willem II, hertog van Gelre, Gulik en Kleef en Karel V, Duits keizer, rekenpenning ten behoeve van Aelbrecht van Loo, klerk-ordinaris van de rekenkamer van Holland te 's-Grave 1543

This anonymous medal commemorates the Treaty of Venlo between Willem II and Charles V. Its intended use was as a token for Aelbrecht van Loo, a clerk in the accounting chamber of Holland. Cast in the Netherlands, the medal depicts a knight on horseback, a classic assertion of aristocratic power, with a shield displaying the double-headed eagle of the Holy Roman Empire on the reverse. The iconography underscores the treaty's significance in solidifying Charles V's authority in the region. Its existence points to the bureaucratization of the state, suggesting the professionalization of accounting. This medal’s existence speaks to the ways in which institutions commemorated important events. As art historians, our understanding benefits from researching archives, state records, and genealogical information. This approach emphasizes that art is most meaningful when understood within its specific historical and institutional contexts.