Congres van Wenen met de namen van de belangrijkste veldslagen uit de jaren 1813 en 1814, ter ere van veertien vorsten en veldheren 1814

Editor: Here we have an engraving from 1814, titled "Congress of Vienna with the names of the most important battles of the years 1813 and 1814, in honor of fourteen princes and commanders". It's a medal made of metal. It looks almost like a commemorative coin, heavy with historical and political implications. What do you see in this piece? Curator: What I see is a potent piece of political propaganda, rendered in miniature. It's celebrating the Congress of Vienna, where European powers redrew the map after Napoleon's defeat. But who is being celebrated, and whose stories are being erased in this act of commemoration? Editor: The fourteen figures circling the angel? Curator: Exactly. It’s crucial to ask: Who gets to be a hero? This medal elevates specific figures, reinforcing power structures. We must also recognize the deliberate omissions. What about the experiences of ordinary people impacted by these 'victories'? Or the dissenting voices of the time? Where are they in this narrative? Editor: I hadn't thought about the omissions, more about what was there. Curator: The placement of the Triumphal Arch is very interesting too. The Arch itself becomes a symbol, perhaps even an ambition, or better, an insinuation by its commissioners of what its future beholds. In which case it stands in contrast with what Napoleon initially hoped to accomplish. How do we look critically at its presence, its message, not simply the aesthetic qualities? Editor: So you are saying it is vital to think who commissioned the medal and for what reason? Curator: Precisely. Questioning the power dynamics embedded within supposedly celebratory objects. Editor: This really reframes how I see historical art; it's not just about aesthetics, but about whose voices are amplified, and whose are silenced. Curator: Indeed. Analyzing these silences allows us to better understand the complexities of historical events.