Sedert vijfentwintig jaar vrede in de Nederlanden 1738

This silver medal was created by Martin Holtzhey in 1733 in the Netherlands to mark twenty-five years of peace. But what kind of peace does it commemorate, and what are the politics of such imagery? The image on one side shows three seated female figures, allegories of peace and prosperity. Above them, divine light shines down. Below, a series of coats of arms represent the Dutch provinces. On the other side, an inscription in Latin celebrates the peace achieved by the federal republic. This was a period of relative stability and economic growth following the end of the War of Spanish Succession. What does it mean for a commercial artist like Holtzhey to produce such a piece? It signals the growth of the merchant class in the Netherlands and the creation of a culture of collecting and display. Medals like this were bought and sold. To understand it better, we can consult archives to investigate the social networks in which Holtzhey operated, and the economic conditions that gave rise to a market for commemorative objects.