Overlijden van Rudolf Hommens 1701

Curator: Well, here we have "Overlijden van Rudolf Hommens," a silver memorial coin from 1701. I find these types of artifacts incredibly telling about the time they were made. Editor: A memento mori in metallic miniature! My first thought? Kinda bleak! It’s basically a skull in a fancy soup bowl staring out into the abyss, if you ask me! Curator: Indeed. The imagery speaks to the conventions of Baroque vanitas. See the skull emerging from what appears to be a burial urn? That alone tells us so much about the culture's attitudes toward death and remembrance. The skull, as a constant symbol of mortality... Editor: Absolutely! Skulls remind us that death reduces us all to bone – literally. But I think its more than memento mori: Baroque loved drama, and a coin featuring death and dramatic light, must’ve made a morbid statement you could actually hold in your pocket. Macabre-chic! Curator: There's also the cloud with cherubs above and a sort of radiating light. This placement is strategic: Hope in Salvation! Consider the semiotic weight of each carefully rendered element... I’m guessing that this was for the elite class of that era? Editor: Totally, only rich folk got immortalized on silver rounds! Plus the details like the foliage on either side framing the image feels theatrical, no? Is there another side of this coin or just skull central? Curator: On the reverse side, there is indeed an inscription in Latin detailing Rudolf Hommens' life as a lawyer. All together these elements solidify it as an upper class commemorative object. Editor: Okay, seeing the inscription gives a bit more… gravitas, let’s say? It adds context to this little object – transforming it from merely gloomy art object to something a little bit more grounded in real life. It's not JUST a momento mori. It memorializes a person with all that heavy, heartfelt inscription in another language. Curator: It makes the statement all the more poignant, considering the tangible form, doesn’t it? This work truly provides a lens to another worldview. Editor: I have to agree. To think, this tiny disc tells a story of life, death, Baroque sensibilities, and probably a fair amount of grief. Amazing.