Overlijden van de hervormer Theodorus Beza 1725

This is a silver medal commemorating the death of the reformer Theodorus Beza, made by Jean Dassier in the 18th century. Beza was an important figure in the Protestant Reformation, a movement that challenged the authority of the Catholic Church. This medal encapsulates the politics of imagery at the time, as Dassier uses visual and textual codes to celebrate Beza's role as a theologian and pastor in Geneva, a key center of the Reformation. The Latin inscription emphasizes Beza's scholarly credentials and his leadership within the church. The medal was likely produced within a network of institutions such as religious organizations, schools, and print shops that supported the Reformist cause. These images would have played a crucial role in shaping public opinion and solidifying a sense of shared identity. Understanding this medal requires an exploration into the social conditions that shaped artistic production and its reception. Historians rely on various sources to understand these contexts, including archival documents, religious tracts, and other visual and material culture, to understand how art is always contingent on social and institutional context.