Geboorte van Jacobus Frans Eduard, prins van Wales 1688

Editor: So, this medal, "Geboorte van Jacobus Frans Eduard, prins van Wales," was made by Jan Smeltzing in 1688. It's crafted from metal and appears to be a print or relief. It has a kind of formal, historical feel to it, almost like a coin. I’m curious – what symbols or meanings jump out at you? Curator: The power of symbols is front and center. This medal commemorating the birth utilizes layers of allegorical figures to bolster the Prince's legitimacy. Look closely: on one side, a female figure – often associated with truth or nature – gestures towards a monument where we see an infant holding what looks like lilies – signs of purity, innocence, and perhaps divine blessing. Editor: And the horse on the other side? Curator: Exactly. What does the horse represent to you? Notice the inscription on its saddle cloth. It's carefully placed, underscoring the message that Britain should believe the heir’s legitimate status. The horse, often seen as a symbol of strength, nobility, and in some contexts, deception, here likely means to show resilience. Think about the cultural anxieties around succession at the time and the powerful role images played. Editor: So the artist used those symbols to try to influence public perception? Curator: Precisely. Medals like these are carefully constructed narratives. The "truth," or rather, the version they wish to promote, is encoded in these seemingly simple images. They evoke feelings of power and faith, and this becomes especially clear when you understand the context in which these symbols thrived and resonated. It encourages you to see art and history entwined. Editor: It’s interesting to consider how deliberate and manipulative images could be, even then. It is clear I have learned to reflect on the different ways an image's meaning is produced by a combination of factors. Curator: Indeed, and consider the long memory that certain images can conjure up. The symbolism on this medal remains open for interpretation even now, showing how lasting the effects of cultural memory can be.