Kroning van Frans II tot Duits keizer te Frankfurt 1792

Curator: At first glance, this piece looks like a simple coin, doesn't it? But it's so much more. We're looking at a metal engraving commemorating the coronation of Francis II as Holy Roman Emperor in Frankfurt, 1792. The inscription is neat. The artist remains anonymous, a sadly frequent reality of print production at this time. Editor: It gives a somber impression. It reminds me of an ancient token, perhaps used in rituals. I immediately see a crossed scepter and sword below a crown; emblems heavy with significance. The bare metal gives it an austere feeling. Curator: Yes, absolutely. The choice to commemorate the event in a print speaks to the expanding culture of public image-making at the time. The act of producing and distributing the images – regardless of whether we see this particular token as “art” today or not - served a symbolic function of propagating the visual rhetoric that supported Francis’ reign. Editor: Those objects symbolize the authority and power he wielded but they are so generic, almost impersonal. Given your take about a growing awareness about “brand” for the Royals, the symbol may mean the power and its control were losing some of their sacred, divinely-inspired qualities? Curator: Well, these events took place against the backdrop of the French Revolution, a period of sweeping upheaval, that put the aristocracy under more and more popular discontent. In many ways, symbols can reveal the fragility, and the very need to assert control, which they try to stand for. It gives them an inverse potency as objects of inquiry in modern times, don't you think? Editor: Precisely! An era defined by its upheaval! The image, through those symbolic representations, encapsulates the moment, but even more so reveals that it was teetering on a precipice. Curator: Indeed. This unassuming engraving reflects a very unstable political environment in Europe, and shows us how those in power worked to control the image of themselves to their intended audience. Editor: Looking at the starkness of the symbols employed and the chosen materiality of the work, what an understated expression of anxiety. A coin sized omen from a bygone world, still speaking volumes.