Vroedschapspenning van de stad 's-Hertogenbosch 1762

Curator: This intriguing little artwork is a Vroedschapspenning—a council penny—from the city of 's-Hertogenbosch, dating back to 1762. The artist was Theodorus Everardus van Berckel, and it's made of metal. Editor: It strikes me as quite dense, doesn't it? So much symbolic stuff packed onto this coin, and yet it feels rather stark in its presentation. The metal almost suppresses any sense of vibrancy; it feels heavy, almost mournful, doesn't it? Curator: Heavy perhaps, but deliberately so. It speaks volumes about the society that valued it. Look closely—on one side, we see a female figure, helmeted, almost certainly an allegorical representation of the city itself, Vigilantia, ever watchful. Editor: With her owl of course! So even in the act of supposedly creating the thing of value, there’s an engagement of existing social hierarchies – she seems almost burdened by that mantle of responsibility if you ask me. Who was actually profiting by the production of this piece of council "wealth" or social virtue, as it implies? Curator: Perhaps the tradesmen of 's-Hertogenbosch at the time. Then on the flip side, we find another allegorical figure, a musician, perched beneath a tree, seemingly finding concord even in discord. Editor: But who chose those particular images, I wonder? The symbolic weight, you’re right, speaks to aspiration, maybe, of the city fathers. Who got to decide how civic virtue manifested? Was it actually designed to reach any actual public? Who were its actual handlers? That makes me very curious about the hands that created, and distributed such an image. It alludes to wealth, knowledge, power, and authority all through symbolic image. Was it worth more as an idea than material value at the time? Curator: That's the clever bit, isn't it? It condenses so much of the civic narrative into a tiny, tangible object. A statement about shared governance, created using human labor as a lasting work of art that perhaps also gave reassurance and created belief in civic pride. Editor: The craftsmanship alone whispers stories of laborers turning base metal into statements of power. All those artisans and manufacturers...it shows you what artistry at its most basic can accomplish by making something into nothing. Curator: Yes, exactly. I think it also reveals their aspiration to be seen as a very civil, sophisticated place. The weight and imagery convey status for everyone in 's-Hertogenbosch Editor: Well, whatever the real social implications were, I think this little object manages to be much more complex and thought-provoking than a first glance would imply. Thanks!