Penning op de dood van de gebroeders De Witt, 1672 1672 - 1699

This is a medal commemorating the death of the De Witt brothers in 1672. Note the two faces on one side, a symbol of unity, yet also a grim reminder of their shared fate. Turn the coin, and we see a ship tossed violently at sea, a visual metaphor that has coursed through art history since antiquity. This recalls the ancient motif of the "ship of state," often used to represent the perils of governance. Just as a ship can be overwhelmed by a storm, so too can a nation be capsized by political turmoil. Think back to Plato's Republic, where the ship symbolizes the ideal state, or Horace's Odes, where it embodies the risks of political life. Here, the ship evokes a primal fear of chaos, a collective anxiety that resonates deeply within us. This fear surfaces and resurfaces across epochs, a testament to our subconscious awareness of the fragility of order. It's a symbol, constantly evolving, reflecting the cyclical nature of history and the enduring human struggle against the tempestuous forces of fate.