Antoine Perrenot, kardinaal van Granvelle, bisschop van Atrecht 1560

This silver medal depicting Antoine Perrenot, Cardinal Granvelle, was created by Jacques Jonghelinck around 1560, in the Netherlands. The medal provides a glimpse into the visual culture of the 16th century, where art served as a tool for propaganda and self-representation. The imagery of the shipwreck on the reverse side may allude to the political storms Granvelle navigated during his career, as a high-ranking official in the Habsburg Netherlands. It's worth noting that the creation and distribution of medals like this were often tied to specific political or personal agendas. To understand the full significance of this medal, historians consult archives, letters, and other primary sources to reconstruct the world in which it was created and consumed. By doing so, we can better appreciate how art objects reflect and shape the social and institutional context in which they were made.