Oprichting van een standbeeld voor de schilder Pieter Paul Rubens te Antwerpen, penning geslagen op last van de stad Antwerpen 1840

This medal commemorating the erection of a statue of Peter Paul Rubens in Antwerp was designed by Laurent Joseph Hart in the mid-19th century. During this time, national identity was often expressed through public monuments and the celebration of cultural heroes. Rubens, as a celebrated Baroque painter, became a symbol of Flemish artistic achievement and pride. The medal presents two sides: one with a portrait of Rubens, capturing the artist's likeness and projecting an image of creative genius; and on the other side, the statue itself. This juxtaposition speaks to the cultural and historical context of artistic legacy. Hart's work is interesting, not just as a historical record, but as a reflection on how societies choose to immortalize individuals and shape collective memory. The medal represents the artistic and cultural values that were considered important at the time, as well as how notions of identity and artistic heritage were constructed and reinforced through public art.