Bescherming van Bergen in Henegouwen, ter ere van Lodewijk XIV, koning van Frankrijk 1692

This bronze medal, created by Jacques Nilis, celebrates Louis XIV's protection of Mons in Hainaut. On one side, we see the Sun King himself, his profile encircled by his regal title. Turn the medal over and you’ll see that above the coat of arms of Mons, a radiant face peers out, a divine symbol watching over the city. This motif of the all-seeing eye, so charged with symbolic power, echoes through history. We find it in ancient Egyptian art as the Eye of Horus, a symbol of protection, royal power, and good health. Millennia later, it reappears, transformed, as the Eye of Providence in Renaissance art, often associated with Christian divinity. Consider the persistence of this image, from ancient amulets to modern emblems. It reflects our enduring psychological need for a guiding, protective force, a silent observer ensuring safety and order. The medal, therefore, is not just a tribute to a king but a manifestation of deeply rooted human hopes and fears, rendered in bronze for eternity.