Legaat van Johannes Monnikhoff, penning vereerd aan F. Buchner, sedert vijfentwintig jaar lid van het bestuur 1787 - 1817

Curator: Here we have a medal, created sometime between 1787 and 1817. The inscription tells us it's a "Legaat van Johannes Monnikhoff," an honor bestowed upon F. Buchner for twenty-five years of service on the board. It's made of metal, with intricate relief work. Editor: It has the air of somber celebration—cool metal, clean lines, a classic aesthetic for acknowledging civic contributions. There’s an earnestness I can't quite shake off. Curator: Definitely! Look closely at the front—two hands clasped in solidarity. Above them, the inscription "Door Konsten Broederschap Verbonden" – "United through Artistic Brotherhood.” Editor: That handshake. What kind of “brotherhood” was this really upholding, though? These honorifics often obscured very uneven power dynamics—who had access to this ‘brotherhood’, and at whose expense? Curator: That’s the interesting question, isn’t it? The reverse features a somewhat baffling image of what appears to be rolled canvas. Maybe to represent the artistry supported by this brotherhood. It almost feels like the medal is speaking directly about legacy. Editor: Hmm, a rolled canvas representing... artistic productivity or maybe bureaucratic output? It’s too neat and tidy to symbolize true creative struggle. More like the rewards of compliance and longevity. I wonder about Buchner, about what “twenty-five years” really meant to the community beyond the boardrooms. Curator: I hear you. It makes me wonder what role the arts play in reinforcing certain values and social structures. Perhaps this medal offers a glimpse into that complex relationship. Editor: Right? And if you look close at the choice of the visual motifs, it can tell so much about an institutions perception of art. I appreciate these artifacts, because you can find traces of resistance to their core ideals within their material language. They inadvertently carry more truth than the intentions they set out with. Curator: Absolutely. There is always something compelling in even these outwardly stuffy ceremonial pieces, that gives you just a peek into the complexity behind them.