Historiepenning in doos op Prof. dr. P.J. Blok 1909

Editor: Here we have Toon Dupuis's 1909 metal sculpture, "Historiepenning in doos op Prof. dr. P.J. Blok," at the Rijksmuseum. It looks like a commemorative medal, almost like a coin. What catches your eye about it? Curator: I’m particularly interested in the bronze medium itself. Bronze casting in 1909 was not merely a technical process; it spoke to established hierarchies of artistic production. We should ask, what does the choice of this material signify about Professor Blok? Editor: That’s interesting! I hadn’t thought about bronze carrying so much cultural weight. What kind of labor would go into creating such a medal? Curator: A great deal of skilled labor was required. The initial design, the creation of molds, the casting process, the finishing—each step involved artisans deeply familiar with their materials. Think about the social standing of those artisans. Was their work considered "high art" or craft? What's the connection to industrial labor versus artistic mastery? Editor: So, considering it's a portrait of a professor, would you say that the medal's form elevates his status? Does it challenge or reinforce the existing social structure? Curator: Precisely. Is the choice of bronze meant to align him with the permanence of knowledge, or something else entirely? And let's consider the box it comes in: who commissioned it? Where was it displayed or stored? Editor: This medal, then, is far more than just a portrait. It is a story of social values embodied through materials and manufacturing processes. Curator: Exactly. It invites us to analyze how materials and methods contribute to the overall meaning of a work, highlighting power dynamics at play in the art world. Editor: This really makes me see the object in a new light! I thought the medal was only about the professor's face. Curator: The medal makes one wonder who, today, do we immortalize through crafted effigies, and by what production standards do we judge the labor?