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

This bronze medal was made by Adriaan Bemme, likely in the late 18th or early 19th century. It commemorates the Rotterdam drawing academy, with the inscription ‘Hierdoor tot Hooger,’ meaning ‘Through this to higher things.’ The image depicts a classical muse, seated and writing, an allegory for the pursuit of knowledge. It uses a classical visual language, hearkening back to ancient Greece and Rome. Such imagery was common in the academies of the time. These institutions, such as the Rotterdam Tekenakademie, played a crucial role in shaping artistic taste and standards, but were also socially exclusive. As historians, when we examine this medal, we must look at the social and institutional context in which it was produced. We can ask: who was admitted to the Rotterdam academy? What kind of art did they produce? How did the academy shape the art world of its time? Art doesn’t exist in a vacuum, but is always shaped by the institutions and social forces of its time.