Aanvang van 1745, op de hoop dat de oorlog dit jaar beeindigd wordt 1744

Curator: So this is a medal created in 1744 by Martin Holtzhey titled "Aanvang van 1745, op de hoop dat de oorlog dit jaar beeindigd wordt"—which roughly translates to "Beginning of 1745, in the hope that the war will end this year". Editor: The sheen of the metal is the first thing I notice—it feels…optimistic? Despite what must have been quite a tense historical moment. Curator: Holtzhey really leans into that baroque love of allegory here. The main side features a seated female figure, clearly representing the Dutch Republic, complete with her symbolic lion and all the trappings of authority. The inscription around her says "Salus et Publica et Suprema" meaning "The Salvation of the Public is Supreme". Editor: I'm intrigued by that figure on the reverse side emerging from the doorway. She looks almost hesitant, a little wary as the hand offers her flowers, promising peace. It has a sense of hope tinged with anxiety. What is the significance of the architecture around her? Curator: I'd suggest it's the Temple of Janus whose doors were traditionally closed in times of peace and open during war. The open doorway tells us about the conflict still, yet, hopefully being concluded. Editor: The gesture of offering, the opening of doors--these are universal symbols of a longed for cessation of violence, aren't they? One I could really relate to today? Curator: Absolutely. And the fact that it's captured in such a durable medium like metal reinforces the sense of permanence, that desire for a lasting peace. This object becomes a powerful record, or talisman even, charged with collective aspiration. Editor: There's a stark clarity to it, isn't there? Given that such miniature formats can often lack any true feeling? I wonder if it really changed anything in people's hearts at the time though. Maybe this feeling that a piece like this represents, even one cast in cold hard metal, could have contributed to real change. It's worth hoping so anyway. Curator: That’s the fascinating power of these small-scale, historical objects. Thanks to Holtzhey’s artistry, these medals become not just historical documents, but echoes of a universal longing, continuing to speak to us across centuries.