Afstand van Karel V ten behoeve van Filips II 1555

This silver medal by Jacques Jonghelinck portrays Charles V abdicating in favor of Philip II. The profiles, regal and unyielding, remind us of ancient Roman portraiture, echoing the continuity of power through the ages. Notice how the armor encases each figure, a symbol of protection, but also a barrier, physically manifesting the weight of leadership and the isolation it brings. Armor appears across centuries, from medieval knights to Renaissance rulers, each time reflecting the anxieties and aspirations of their age. The very act of depicting a ruler’s profile on a coin or medal carries a potent psychological charge. It's an assertion of identity and authority, an attempt to fix an image in the collective memory. This medal, in its circular form, embodies a cycle—the end of one reign and the start of another, reflecting life's non-linear, recurrent patterns. A visual echo that resonates even today.