Vijftigjarige viering van de onafhankelijkheid van Nederland, ter ere van Willem I, II en III, koningen der Nederlanden 1863

This bronze medal was made in the Netherlands by Salomon de Vries to celebrate 50 years of Dutch independence. The medal commemorates kings Willem I, II, and III, and we can see how the imagery deliberately creates meaning through cultural references and historical associations. On one side, we see the three kings in profile; on the other, a female figure of Liberty stands proudly beside a Dutch lion with symbols of war cast aside. The dates 1813-1863 mark the period of Dutch independence from French rule and the reign of these three kings. The medal was created in a period when the nation state was still a relatively new concept, and national identity was something that was being actively created and promoted. The very existence of this state depended on consolidating its symbolic power. As historians, we can look into archives and libraries to learn more about Dutch nationalism in the 19th century. What emerges is a richer understanding of the ways art is contingent on social and institutional contexts.