Overlijden van Johannes Noordbeek, predikant te Amsterdam, begraven te Workum 1749

This silver medal was created by Dillis van Oyen to commemorate the death of Johannes Noordbeek, a preacher in Amsterdam who was buried in Workum. The medal is rich with symbolism reflecting the cultural and religious context of the 18th-century Dutch Republic. On one side, we see a knight and a lion flanking an open book, likely the Bible, topped by a crown, a symbol of sovereignty, illustrating themes of faith and authority. The reverse includes an inscription detailing Noordbeek's life, framed by images of an hourglass and a skull, potent reminders of mortality that were common during the Baroque period. The building may represent the institutional context of Noordbeek's life as a preacher. The dog may represent loyalty. To fully understand the medal, we could delve into the history of the Dutch Reformed Church, Dutch political history and Dutch burial traditions. Art historical research is always enriched by historical context.