Kroning van Victoria Alexandrine tot koningin van Groot-Britannie 1838

Curator: Look at this intriguing medal commemorating Queen Victoria's coronation in 1838, crafted by J. Barber. The medium is engraving on metal. It appears to capture not only the image of a young queen, but also the weight of a historical moment. Editor: The shiny gold just glints, doesn't it? Honestly, my first impression is… regal tedium. I mean, look at that serious face on the front! One can sense both the burden and the privilege, but there’s an inescapable sense of performance here. Curator: Absolutely. Let’s unpack that "regal tedium." Contextually, this falls squarely within the Neoclassical tradition. Barber presents Victoria almost as a classical Roman figure. Think about how that imagery projects power and legitimizes her rule as a young, female monarch ascending the throne amid complex socio-political pressures. Editor: Neoclassical austerity, maybe? But where's the spark, the life? To me, the procession scene on the reverse side speaks more about communal expectations than the monarch's personal desires. Like a little golden ritual everyone is stuck performing for all eternity! Or until the metal melts… Curator: I appreciate your visceral reading, especially juxtaposing the solemn individual portrait with the public ceremony. Consider, though, how the metal as material contributes to our understanding. Medals served as both personal keepsakes and instruments of public memory. It disseminated Victoria’s image, controlling her narrative for an expanding British empire. Think about the sheer scale of production and distribution; it played an active part in constructing national identity. Editor: Okay, okay, the semiotics of royal kitsch! Still, all that controlled narrative! Does the weight of empire compress individuals? Looking at this shiny souvenir I keep asking myself about power, about control… Can this ‘instrument of memory’ reveal anything besides that carefully packaged moment? Curator: Those are critical, necessary questions, particularly from a contemporary perspective. This engraving represents a moment ripe with both political ambition and personal anxiety. As objects of material culture they continue to inspire us. What’s more fitting than engaging those anxieties and questions now, however difficult or uncomfortable? Editor: Agreed. And in its own stiff, self-important way, this shiny little artifact speaks to power relations, to what is gained, and lost. Like some gleaming mirror reflects not only an event, but who, we, are today.