Ontwerp voor de Rembrandt penning 1988

Vincent Pieter Semeyn Esser shaped this design for a Rembrandt penning, or medal, out of clay. I love how immediate you can feel the sculptor's touch. Imagine Esser pushing and prodding at the clay, building up Rembrandt's profile on one side and the painter's initial on the other. I wonder what Esser was thinking about as he worked. Was he pondering Rembrandt's life, his impact? It’s interesting that this artist is thinking about another artist, and their legacy. The raised surfaces catch the light, giving the design a tactile presence. It makes you want to reach out and trace the lines of Rembrandt's face or the curves of his initial. I admire Esser's direct, hands-on approach and how he creates a connection with the past. The materiality of the medal brings us closer to Rembrandt and the process of artistic creation itself. It reminds us that art is a conversation between artists across time.