Gevangenneming van Johan Frederik van Saksen in de slag bij Muhlberg, penning ter ere van Karel V en Ferdinand van Bohemen 1547

This medal was produced by the Monogrammist WS to celebrate the capture of John Frederick of Saxony at the Battle of Muhlberg. Although undated, it was likely produced in the mid-16th century somewhere in the Holy Roman Empire. The medal reflects the religious and political turmoil of the Reformation. The defeat of John Frederick, a leading Protestant, by Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, marked a crucial moment in the struggle between the Catholic Habsburgs and the Protestant princes. Medals like this were carefully designed to promote a particular point of view, using imagery and text to shape public opinion. On one side, we see the portraits of Charles V and his brother Ferdinand, while the other side depicts the battle itself, a chaotic scene representing the triumph of imperial forces. Coins and Medals like this, then, were not just art objects; they were instruments of power. To understand this medal more fully, we need to consult historical sources, examining the political context, religious debates, and the role of propaganda in the 16th century. By doing so, we can better appreciate how art reflects and shapes the world around it.