Overwinning van de geallieerden op Napoleon I Bonaparte, keizer der Fransen 1815

This silver medal commemorating the allied victory over Napoleon Bonaparte was created by Franz Detler, an artist working in the early 19th century. Considered within the context of post-Napoleonic Europe, it embodies the complex power dynamics of the time and the reshaping of national identities. The imagery is potent: a winged female figure, likely a personification of Victory, stands triumphant over a serpent, symbolizing the defeated Napoleon. The use of a female figure as a symbol of victory ties into broader cultural constructions of gender and power, where women are often used as allegorical figures to represent abstract concepts like freedom, justice, or in this case, victory. The medal's creation was not just an artistic act, but a political one, solidifying a narrative of European nations united against a common enemy. It serves as a tangible artifact that reflects how historical events are filtered through art to shape collective memory and national identity.