Tekenakademie 'Hierdoor tot Hooger' te Rotterdam, penning van de eerste grootte 1820

This silver prize medal was made by Adriaan Bemme in Rotterdam. Notice how the silver has been die-struck, a process by which a design is impressed with great force. Here, the image is of a seated woman, perhaps a muse, with a book. The material itself speaks volumes. Silver has been valued for centuries, and its use here lends an air of prestige and importance to the Tekenakademie, a drawing academy. The very act of striking the metal is telling; this was not a unique, hand-wrought object, but something meant for wider distribution. The medal embodies a shift in the status of skill, from the guild system to a modern division of labor, in which talent could be taught and certified. The inscription ‘Hierdoor tot Hooger’ - ‘through diligence, to advancement’ - speaks directly to this spirit of progress. Considering the materials and the making of this medal, we get a richer understanding of the social and cultural values it represents. It encourages us to reconsider traditional boundaries between art, craft, and industry.