Verovering van de citadel van Antwerpen, ter ere van Lodewijk Filips, koning der Fransen 1832

This bronze medal depicting Louis-Phillipe, King of the French, was designed by Jean Pierre Montagny to commemorate the French army's capture of the citadel of Antwerp. Antwerp, now in Belgium, had been under Dutch control, and its capture in 1832 was a pivotal moment in the Belgian Revolution. Notice how the medal presents Louis-Phillipe. His regal profile is adorned with a laurel wreath, a symbol of victory and honor inherited from classical antiquity. The other side of the medal shows a winged figure of Victory. This is a clear demonstration of the deep historical and cultural ties that the French monarchy was trying to re-establish after the Revolution. By creating objects such as this medal, Louis-Phillipe was very deliberately attempting to associate his rule with notions of French military strength. But it also shows the complexities of nation-building and the lingering effects of revolution and war, condensed into a small, weighty object.