Mislukte vredesonderhandelingen te Keulen 1579

This small, bronze medal by Gerard van Bylaer, dated 1579, depicts the failed peace negotiations in Cologne. One side shows a lion, a symbol of the city of Cologne, being led away from a peace monument by a figure representing the Netherlands. The other side shows two men, possibly representing the parties in conflict, walking away from the monument. The medal serves as a reminder of the ongoing struggle for independence in the Netherlands, a period of great political and social upheaval. It is a powerful and evocative example of 16th-century medallic art.