Afbreken van de onderhandelingen met don Juan, ter ere van Filips II, koning van Spanje 1577

This small bronze medal, made by an anonymous artist, commemorates the breaking off of negotiations with Don Juan in honor of King Philip II of Spain. Its materiality speaks volumes. Copper alloy was an ideal material for reproducing images on a small scale, capturing fine details through the skilled traditions of die-striking, engraving, and minting. The medal isn't just a symbol of political power, but also of economic structures. The bronze hints at broader social issues of labor, politics, and consumption. Consider the mining of the ore, the smelting and refining processes, the skilled labor involved in die-making and striking – all crucial aspects of early modern capitalism. The creation of such a medal involved a complex web of extraction, production, and distribution. By focusing on the processes involved in making this medal, we get a fuller picture of its meaning. It challenges our traditional distinctions between fine art and craft.