Overlijden van Jan Nieuwenhuyzen te Monnikendam, stichter van het genootschap "Maatschappij tot Nut van 't Algemeen" 1806

This silver medal commemorating the death of Jan Nieuwenhuyzen was created by Hendrik Lageman in the Netherlands in 1806. The medal refers to Nieuwenhuyzen’s role as the founder of the Society for the Public Good. It represents the cultural values of the Dutch Enlightenment. On one side, we see a neoclassical monument with a wreath, framed by trees. The inscription lists Nieuwenhuyzen’s name and date of death. The other side shows an ouroboros, a serpent eating its tail, surrounding a bee, symbols of continuous effort and productivity. Both are framed by a laurel wreath. The text reminds us that Nieuwenhuyzen’s spirit lives on through his good deeds. The medal encapsulates the Society's Enlightenment ideals of civic virtue and public service. To understand this medal fully, historians consult the Society's archives and publications to reveal the social and intellectual context in which it was created. The medal’s message, like all art, is contingent on its historical moment.