Inname van Grave 1602

Claes Petersz. van de Vogelaer created this silver medal, “Inname van Grave,” to commemorate the capture of Grave. This work is not just a symbol of military victory, it reflects the complex interplay of power, labor, and identity in the 17th-century Dutch Republic. On one side, we see laborers hard at work, the coat of arms of Utrecht beneath them. This image highlights the manual labor and collective effort involved in warfare. The other side depicts a spade overlaid with a laurel wreath and the inscription “Industria et Labore,” celebrating the virtues of industry and labor. The choice to foreground labor speaks to the values of the burgeoning merchant class of the Netherlands. These images underscore a narrative of progress and national identity being forged through military success and economic activity. The medal invites us to reflect on the relationship between conquest, labor, and the construction of national identity.