Zestien penningen met versierde lijsten, waarvan één blanco 1647 - 1682

Curator: Immediately, I'm struck by the delicate detail, given this is an engraving. What do you make of it at first glance? Editor: It gives me a sense of contained stories, almost like viewing a collection of cameos displayed on a single sheet. A grid of power. Curator: Well, let's unpack that power. This is an engraving entitled "Zestien penningen met versierde lijsten, waarvan één blanco" dating from 1647 to 1682. It's attributed to Simon de la Boissière. You'll see that the medium combines ink, paper, and print. Sixteen medallions, one deliberately blank, ornately framed. Editor: That one blank space feels almost… defiant, doesn’t it? A conscious omission within an otherwise rigid framework of production. Makes me wonder if it signals resistance. What statement does this engraving make during a period of intense political and social transformation? Were these coins celebratory tokens minted and distributed to affirm colonial power and silence the voices of those who have been dispossessed? Curator: Interesting read, it shifts the intention onto a political lens rather than, let's say, as commemorative material for the rising merchant class of the period, especially because of the elaborate detailing in the borders, signaling to consumption of luxurious artistic embellishment by those in possession of enough capital? This would influence the social construction and economic standing. Editor: Absolutely, and how was that wealth acquired? By whom, and at what cost? We must understand this historical object within a framework of power structures related to social class. These coins are a commodity in and of themselves. Even the labor in reproducing these designs for dissemination reveals the socioeconomic context within which they’re made. How does De la Boissière participate, knowingly or unknowingly, in maintaining or resisting colonial authority? Curator: That blank coin prompts a vital inquiry – whose stories and experiences are erased in the grand narrative of the dominant forces? Editor: Indeed. It underscores that silence itself carries potent weight. Thanks for taking the time to contextualize its placement within art history, highlighting its sociopolitical meanings that question its function and interpretation. Curator: And your sharp interpretation gives the engraving a more immediate meaning.