Aanvang van de 19de eeuw 1799 - 1800

This silver medal, made by Franz Stuckhart, celebrates the dawn of the 19th century. On one side, Apollo, the sun god, drives his chariot across the sky, heralded by a cherubic figure, symbolizing enlightenment and the radiant promise of a new era. But look, how this echoes across time! The sun chariot, a motif from classical antiquity, reappears in Renaissance paintings and Baroque sculptures, each time imbued with the hope of rebirth and renewal. Even the angel, a messenger from the divine, has roots in ancient winged figures, a symbol adapted and transformed through centuries of religious and artistic expression. Consider the psychological weight of these symbols. The sun chariot, a representation of the ego, striving for clarity, while the angel offers solace. This medal speaks to our collective memory, our ingrained desire for progress, and our subconscious longing for divine guidance. These symbols, constantly recycled and re-contextualized, evoke powerful emotional responses. They resurface, evolve, and are imbued with new meanings in each age, reminding us of the cyclical nature of hope, progress, and the human spirit.