Honderdjarig bestaan van de Nederlandsche Handel Maatschappij 1924 1924

This bronze medal was made in 1924 by Johannes Cornelis Wienecke. Look closely at the marks left by the artist; there’s an all-over field of fine lines and bumps, as if the medal was grown rather than constructed. I love the way Wienecke has used texture to create depth and interest. The surface is not smooth or polished, but rather rough and uneven, which gives it a tactile quality. The designs feel as if they’ve emerged from the material itself. Notice how the lines are not perfectly straight or even, but slightly wobbly, giving the impression of something handmade. The letters are deeply impressed into the surface of the medal, creating a sense of depth and solidity. There’s a strange feeling to this piece; it’s classical yet modern, serious yet playful. I wonder what Medardo Rosso would have made of it? Art is an ongoing conversation, an exchange of ideas across time.