Karel Joan Lodewyk Alberdingk Thym (1935) 1934

"Karel Joan Lodewyk Alberdingk Thym", made by Leendert Braat in 1935, is a bronze medal which immortalizes the likeness of a notable figure. Reflecting on this portrait, consider the historical context of the 1930s. As Europe edged closer to war, traditional forms of power and representation were both reinforced and challenged. A commemorative medal like this served to solidify the status of figures like Thym, whose identity was rooted in the intellectual and professional elite. The choice of bronze, a classical material, reinforces the subject's gravitas, while the formal, almost stoic, depiction adheres to conventional modes of portraiture. Yet, there's an undeniable tension between the desire to preserve tradition and the looming upheaval of the era. Consider how this object, in its attempt to fix identity, also reveals the anxieties of a society on the brink of transformation. Medals like these are, in some ways, a statement of enduring legacy in a world facing instability.