Bezoek van Willem I Frederik, koning der Nederlanden aan Gent, penning geslagen op last van de Maatschappij van Nijverheid 1829

This is a medal made by Joseph-Pierre Braemt in 1829, commissioned to commemorate the visit of Willem I Frederik, King of the Netherlands, to Ghent. Medals like this were not simply commemorative objects, but tools for shaping public opinion. The medal depicts Willem in profile, styled in the manner of a Roman emperor, which creates an association with power and authority. The medal's inscription states that the King "approves, encourages, and protects the industry of Ghent" This connects Willem to the economic prosperity of the region, an important political message at a time when the Netherlands was trying to consolidate its control over the Southern Netherlands, now Belgium. The medal was commissioned by the Society of Industry, an institution created to promote economic development. This tells us that it was part of a larger effort to integrate the region into the Dutch Kingdom. To understand this medal better, one could research the economic policies of Willem I and the history of the Society of Industry. This shows us that art is always made within a specific social and institutional context.