Griekse orde (Orde van George I), ontvangen door Willem Drees before 1954

This Greek medal of the Order of George I was given to Willem Drees at some point in the past. Medals are interesting, right? All this symbolic weight packed into a small object. I’m struck by the contrast between the smooth, almost silky ribbon and the sharp, metallic points of the starburst below. The red enamel at the center really pops against the silver. It's all carefully placed, yet there's a liveliness to the design, a sense of movement that keeps it from feeling too stiff. The velvet backing of the display case is particularly tactile too; you can almost feel the short soft pile. It reminds me a bit of some of Mondrian's earlier work. All that geometry, striving for balance, but with a human touch that keeps it from being too perfect. Art, like medals, is about more than just what you see. It’s about history, feeling, and the stories we tell ourselves.