Overlijden van Cornelia Esther Slob, echtgenote van de medailleur Johan George Holtzhey 1776

This gold medal, commemorating the death of Cornelia Esther Slob, was made by her husband, Johan George Holtzhey, a Dutch medallist, sometime after her death in 1774. The imagery is neoclassical, with a scene of mourning enacted in front of a classical tomb. Holtzhey was a prominent figure in the Dutch Republic, producing medals for a range of public and private occasions. The medal was a widely used medium in the 18th century, serving as a means of commemorating individuals and events. This medal, with its Latin inscription and allegorical imagery, reflects the cultural values of the Dutch elite in this period. Such medals would have been commissioned and collected, reflecting the status and taste of the owner. The Rijksmuseum, as a repository of Dutch cultural history, provides a valuable institutional context for understanding the social and cultural significance of this medal. Further research into Holtzhey's career, as well as the social history of medal collecting, could provide deeper insights into the medal's meaning and purpose.