Stichting van de St. Ferdiand Chapel ter ere van Ferdinand, hertog van Orleans 1842 - 1843

Editor: Here we have what looks like a commemorative bronze medal, made around 1842-1843. It is called 'Stichting van de St. Ferdiand Chapel ter ere van Ferdinand, hertog van Orleans,' currently housed in the Rijksmuseum. It's quite small and intricate; the detail is incredible for the size. What catches your eye most about this piece? Curator: Well, isn't it just a whispered echo of a grand narrative? I mean, look at the careful neoclassical precision! That profile of Ferdinand, the Duke of Orleans, struck in the confident metal, is pure power, right? And the chapel itself – etched there with such fidelity…it's almost as if they're trying to make a claim, stake something in time, do you feel that too? Editor: Absolutely! It feels like a statement. Do you think it really captures the spirit of neoclassicism? To me, it feels a bit more…intimate. Curator: Intimate, yes! Almost a contradiction, isn’t it? Neoclassicism, on this miniature scale. Normally grand and imposing, here softened by memory and perhaps grief. It was commissioned to remember a beloved prince after all – it's not just cold, classical hero-worship. More of a heartfelt…token. Almost like pressing a flower between the pages of history. Editor: I like that – a pressed flower of history! That makes me see it differently, a lot less formal. Curator: Precisely. It's not about lecturing us on power, is it? But instead, drawing us closer to something more fragile, human. The cold, hard bronze, shaped into a little pocket-sized emotional landscape. And that chapel etched there... imagine what was lost with him and all that this image represents. Editor: I came in thinking medal, Neoclassicism, official…but I'm leaving thinking... keepsake, memory, loss. It's amazing how a little reframing changes everything. Curator: Isn’t it? That’s the lovely sorcery of art; it’s always willing to whisper new secrets if you're just ready to listen.