Prijsplakette van de Historische Tentoonstelling Amsterdam 1275-1925 op naam van het Koninklijk Oudheidkundig Genootschap 1925 1925

This prize plaque was made in 1925 by J. Richters for the Historical Exhibition in Amsterdam. It looks like it's made out of metal, maybe pewter, and is actually a kind of relief sculpture. The images and text have been pressed into the surface, and the shapes are sharp, like a print, almost. I'm so curious about the process. Imagine the artist carefully carving a mold, thinking about positive and negative space, pressing into the metal to make it sink and rise just so. The details are incredible – see how the buildings emerge from the flat surface? It's all in shades of gray, which adds to the serious, historical feel. The artist has designed two plaques, one for each side of the medal, in a single composition of contrasting architectural styles. The composition emphasizes the historical importance of Amsterdam. The artist probably thought hard about how to convey a sense of the city's rich past. All the same, there’s something very modern about the sharp lines and simplified shapes. It reminds me of Cubism. Ultimately, artists are in constant dialogue with one another, riffing on ideas across time, inspiring each other's creativity.