Edward V, from the English Monarchs series 1731 - 1732

Curator: What we're looking at is a bronze medal created by Jean Dassier between 1731 and 1732. It's part of his English Monarchs series and depicts Edward V. Editor: There's an interesting blend of vulnerability and authority in this tiny, round bronze world. It looks so severe, so absolute. It's like staring into the gaze of history, trapped in a coin. Curator: Absolutely. Dassier was quite meticulous in his craft. Consider the engraving itself, the way he rendered textures and inscriptions on such a small scale – the delicacy of the lace is especially remarkable. We're seeing skilled labor elevating a royal portrait. Editor: It makes me think about how this was created to propagate a certain idea, perhaps solidify power...but it's literally cast. It almost has this echo of inevitability to it. What was Edward’s own relationship to his crafted image, I wonder? Did it feel…him? Curator: A king's image then—and now—is never truly their own. Think of the cultural and political significance attached to it, even more than personal likeness. This piece embodies Baroque aesthetics but also this impulse to create these keepsakes and political tools all in one. Editor: Right. We look at this "portrait" made of base metal and see what? History. Royalty. Authority. A perfectly preserved object ready for its next act...to be consumed as information by us. Do you find that sort of power to outlive intent beautiful or unsettling? Curator: Both, truly. The craftsmanship imbues it with a timelessness that makes the history feel immediate, which is exactly the power this tiny little thing harnessed to ensure legacy. But also the layers of representation raise an interesting ethical issue... Editor: What began as symbolic capital, rendered in humble material. It becomes material to spark conversations centuries after the reign it intended to bolster had abruptly, brutally ended. It has gone from image to artefact and that, in itself, changes everything. Curator: Beautifully said. It offers us a space to ponder at just what it means to create--or represent--power.