Overwinning van de Fransen bij Cassano before 1725

This bronze medal was created by Thomas Bernard to commemorate the French victory at Cassano. The medal presents a study in duality, split into two distinct yet interconnected sides. On one face, the precise, formal profile of Louis XIV is framed by text. The other side is a dynamic tableau of defeat, where a personification of Germania is shown below an angel. The composition is carefully arranged to create a flowing narrative, as if the eye is led from the regal stillness of Louis XIV to the chaotic aftermath of battle. The very materiality of the bronze adds to the medal's function as a historical record and a piece of propaganda. Its tactile presence invites interaction and its preservation speaks to a desire to fix a moment in time. Yet, as with all symbolic objects, its meanings are never fixed, but are re-evaluated through changing perspectives.