Caroline, Queen of Naples 1808

Curator: This display presents a series of medals crafted in 1808 by Nicholas Guy Antoine Brenet. It features, among other likenesses, Caroline, Queen of Naples, memorialized in metal. What's your immediate reaction to these pieces? Editor: My initial thought is that the cool, metallic tones give them a detached, almost clinical feel. Each a standardized, replicable token of power, manufactured as a visual echo chamber. Curator: Exactly. Brenet’s choice of metal isn’t just about aesthetics or value; it's about communicating power. As Caroline Bonaparte, later Queen of Naples through marriage to Joachim Murat, she wielded significant influence, but of course through a distinctly gendered lens. How did the prevalent cultural narratives position women, particularly royal women, within these political landscapes? Editor: And what processes were required to arrive at each individual piece. Let's think of these objects in relation to labour and the workforce engaged in materialising these status symbols. The very act of minting such objects served to validate that position. Curator: Precisely! In terms of both identity and material process, these medals, far from being straightforward portraits, speak volumes about gender, class, and power at the height of the Napoleonic era. Moreover, they invite us to consider the concept of legacy and who gets to shape the narrative, quite literally, in metal and stone. Editor: Considering that context adds so much to one’s reading of this piece. At first glance I dismissed this art work as another series of metallic currency objects celebrating Imperial ambition, but reflecting on the materiality of this artistic expression allows one to appreciate the true nature of the medal's propaganda. It’s like a miniature empire stamped for posterity. Curator: Absolutely, that’s why these medals, beyond their visual appeal and historical value, become critical artifacts for decoding the social and political narratives of the time.