Timmerliedengilde van Amsterdam, gildepenning van Willem Hartgers 1770

Editor: Here we have a guild badge for the Amsterdam Timbermen's Guild, guild badge of Willem Hartgers, dating to 1770. It’s made of metal with relief and engraving, split into two circular vignettes on either side of what looks like a coin or medallion. One side has the look of a family crest while the other shows Joseph leading the donkey with Mary and child. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Immediately, I observe the interplay between text and image. On one face, the script designating “Willem Hartgers 1770” functions not merely as label but as integral to the heraldic composition. Note the serifs and their relationship to the contour of the crest above; they create a unified, Baroque sensibility. Editor: The Baroque feel also comes through on the opposite side. It seems to indicate a much older story being referenced within a ‘newer’ looking setting. How can both feel right at the same time? Curator: The composition guides us here. The density of the relief sculpturing contrasts dramatically with the flat background on which the script and crest appear. It’s as if the weight of history, signified by the guild, finds expression in that dense figuration, pressing against the relative lightness of the individual name and heraldic declaration. See how the artist balances depth and shallowness to give distinct presence to two forms? Editor: Yes, it’s as if two different eras or ideologies are held in perfect equipoise! Is the story depicted intended to convey a moral teaching for the Guild's membership or, perhaps, provide inspiration for their work? Curator: Potentially. By drawing connections to Saint Joseph the image might speak to both duty and skill in woodworking. We cannot know with certainty the artist’s intention. What the medallion offers is a refined meditation on craft, lineage, and narrative tradition within a single formal arrangement. Editor: Thanks! I really appreciate the insights and historical breakdown that’s woven in. It gives the whole medallion another layer of richness. Curator: The pleasure was mine; analyzing its forms opened fresh possibilities of interpretation for us both.