Driehonderdvijftigjarige herdenking van de tocht naar Nova Zembla door Willem Barents 1944 1944

Han Rehm’s silver medal from 1944 commemorates Willem Barents’ voyage to Nova Zembla three hundred and fifty years prior. Imagine the artist holding the die, striking the metal. There’s a real tactility to this piece, isn’t there? It reminds me of printmaking, where the artist is literally pressing an image into life. Looking at Barents’ ruffled collar, it’s just rows of repeated curves, each mark, I imagine, carefully considered. What was Rehm thinking, making this during the Second World War? Maybe it was a way to connect to a heroic past, a reminder of Dutch courage and exploration. The inscription “Niet Zonder God” - Not Without God - that circles the image, reminds us that artists, like explorers, often venture into the unknown, guided by something beyond themselves, whether faith, curiosity, or just the sheer joy of discovery. Like artists, explorers push boundaries, charting new territories of knowledge and experience. In art, as in life, we’re all on a journey, aren’t we, navigating the uncharted waters of creativity and expression, always learning from those who came before.