Bevrediging van Gent, rekenpenning geslagen ter ere van Karel V, Duits keizer 1540

Editor: Here we have a bronze medal from 1540, celebrating Charles V's "satisfaction" of Gent. The artist is anonymous. Its size is striking; even though it’s a medal, it feels grand and imposing. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: Well, first off, that word “satisfaction” is doing a lot of work here. These medals weren’t just pretty objects; they were tools of political propaganda. “Satisfying” Gent likely meant quashing a rebellion! The choice to produce it as a medal, as opposed to a grand painting or sculpture, makes it portable, something that can disseminate power throughout the empire. Do you see the imagery at play? Editor: I do. On one side is Charles V in profile, and the other looks like a lion. I assume they're both symbols of power. The lion seems a little defeated or maybe ‘satisfied’ if we are to be sarcastic. Curator: Exactly. And the very act of striking this medal, mass-producing an image, demonstrates how power becomes entrenched, becomes a part of the cultural fabric. Who would have owned this? Editor: I imagine officials, nobles. Someone close to Charles V, as a symbol of their fealty? Curator: Perhaps. Also, consider wealthy merchants, guild members. These objects helped shape public opinion. How do you think the average person in Gent viewed this medal and the “satisfaction” it represented? Editor: Probably with a fair amount of skepticism. Power in images doesn’t always equal power in reality, especially when it concerns things that happen in society. It's interesting how objects, like this medal, participated in a broader, much bigger narrative. Curator: Precisely! It makes you think about the power of art to justify or to obscure. Editor: I agree! Thinking about its societal context really opens up how to understand it. Thanks!