Overlijden van Aurelius Augustus van Male, lid van de Hoge Raad te Madrid 1662

Editor: Here we have "Overlijden van Aurelius Augustus van Male, lid van de Hoge Raad te Madrid," or "The Death of Aurelius Augustus van Male, Member of the High Council of Madrid", a metal relief created in 1662 by Denis Waterloos II. It's giving me a somber, commemorative vibe – what jumps out at you? Curator: That's a sharp observation. For me, it's the contrast between the formal portrait and the allegorical figure on the reverse. We have a dignified profile, almost classical in its rendering. But then, flip the coin, and we have a rather Mannerist figure of Victory. I imagine she's trampling over foes on the right and some architecture, possibly a symbolic representation of his achievements or life forces cut short on the left. What could they mean together? Editor: Hmm, I see what you mean about the contrast. Perhaps the Victory side is meant to represent his triumphs in life being immortalized, even in death? It’s a little hard to read with the limited details on such a small metal relief. Curator: Precisely! Consider also that these commemorative medals served multiple purposes. Beyond honoring the deceased, they were often gifts, or a form of political currency. It served to embed the deceased patron's history within society. It makes you wonder what stories it could tell if it could talk. Where it's been. And who handled it before it ended up here in the museum. Editor: That's so fascinating! It’s like holding a tiny piece of someone’s legacy, literally. Thanks for bringing the context and potential symbolism to life. I see it so differently now. Curator: Absolutely, it's always thrilling to see what stories reside in the mundane and those not remembered or celebrated through today’s values. Medals like these open doors to understanding what truly mattered in those times, or, rather, to those who wielded the power to memorialize lives of importance, shaping our historical narrative in subtle yet lasting ways.