Opening van het Kanaal van Terneuzen naar Gent, ter ere van Willem I Frederik, koning der Nederlanden, penning aangeboden door de Staten van Oost-Vlaanderen en Zeeland en de raad van Gent 1827

This silver medal by Joseph-Pierre Braemt commemorates the opening of the canal from Terneuzen to Ghent. On one side we see King William I, but it's the reverse that truly captures our imagination. Here, Neptune, god of the sea, stands proudly with his trident, while a reclining female figure likely represents a river goddess or the city of Ghent itself. Neptune, a figure borrowed from the classical world, symbolizes power over water. This motif—of a god taming or overseeing waterways—reverberates through art history, seen in Roman mosaics and Renaissance fountains alike. The trident, a symbol of Neptune's dominion, also carries a deeper, almost primal resonance. Its three prongs might evoke the subconscious mind, reminding us of the power and sometimes destructive force of nature and the sea. This medal, beyond its immediate purpose, taps into a wellspring of cultural memory, echoing themes of control, power, and the enduring relationship between humanity and the natural world.