Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt, vijftig jaar hoogleraar biologie aan de universiteit van Leiden, penning geschonken door zijn vrienden en leerlingen 1851

This silver medal commemorating Caspar Georg Carl Reinwardt was created by David van der Kellen. It marks Reinwardt's fifty years as a professor of biology at Leiden University. Consider the context: early 19th-century Europe, with its burgeoning scientific exploration, set against the backdrop of colonial expansion. Reinwardt himself was a key figure in this movement, becoming director of agriculture, arts, and sciences in the Dutch East Indies in 1816. His work was deeply embedded in the colonial project, one of the complicated dynamics where scientific progress and imperial power were intertwined. This medal speaks to themes of legacy, and the power structures of the time. Who gets remembered, and how? As we look at Reinwardt’s image, preserved in silver, what do we make of his role in a world of shifting borders and unequal power? This medal invites us to consider the complex layers of history, science, and representation.