Beleg van Amsterdam door Willem II 1650

Editor: Here we have a piece entitled "Beleg van Amsterdam door Willem II" dating back to 1650, its maker is anonymous. It's an engraving, and looks to be made of metal. The intricate carvings are fascinating! I’m curious to know, what’s your take on this medal? Curator: As a materialist, I'm drawn to how the medal operates as a manufactured object carrying socio-political weight. Consider the labor involved in its creation—the engraver's skill, the availability of materials, the very act of minting this piece in response to the siege. Editor: So, more than just an image, it’s a document of a particular moment? Curator: Precisely. Think about the message this medium is sending. Metal, inherently valuable, transformed into a tool for propaganda. What statements do you think the imagery is trying to convey to the consumers? Editor: Well, there's a crest on one side with lions, giving it a feeling of established authority and strength. And on the other side, a female figure, maybe representing peace or freedom? But surrounding them both are written inscriptions. Curator: Yes, and note the *style* of script. The accessibility of text and image meant that this was able to engage more than only a small elite group in society. What would you guess to be the relationship between the image and the inscribed text? What power did that confer? Editor: I hadn’t considered that before. So, it’s not just about what is represented, but about the accessibility that cheap manufacturing afforded the piece in influencing popular opinions at the time. Curator: Precisely! We can consider it not just as art, but as evidence of early information dissemination. Examining the means of its production reveals much about the power dynamics of 17th-century Amsterdam. Editor: This completely changes my perspective. Thank you!