Koninklijke Maatschappij van Vrije Kunsten te Brussel, ter ere van Willem I Frederik, koning der Nederlanden 1818 - 1824

This silver medal was created by Joseph-Pierre Braemt to honor William I Frederick, King of the Netherlands. The profile portrait on the medal directly evokes the visual language of classical antiquity; a lineage of power and authority. The act of immortalizing a leader’s profile hearkens back to ancient Roman coins, continuing a tradition where rulers used their likeness to project influence. The profile, a symbol of leadership and power, reappears across centuries, each time molded by the cultural and political context of its age. Consider the emotional undercurrent: the desire to capture, preserve, and project power. The medal is not just a piece of metal, it’s a vessel carrying complex cultural memories, a testament to how symbols evolve and are re-imagined through the ages, always reflecting the timeless human desire to leave a mark on history.