Claude van der Eycken, magistraat van de schatkist van Brussel 1631

Editor: So, here we have a bronze relief from 1631 depicting "Claude van der Eycken, magistrate of the Treasury of Brussels." It’s striking because it looks like it’s a coin, and that one side has what looks like a crest and the other a…. well, a gibbet? What am I supposed to make of that? Curator: Precisely! Let's unpack this a bit. It's crucial to acknowledge the fraught symbolism of a gibbet. Why commemorate a magistrate with an image of public execution? Is it possible that it actually has another layer of representation? Editor: Maybe a warning about power, or perhaps an emblem for their social position at the time? But it feels contradictory, to literally juxtapose power and vulnerability in that way. Curator: Exactly. These images are meant to perform specific functions. Are we looking at it only as art? Who commissioned this? For what purpose? Consider that these coins were a form of political currency, tools of the State to maintain power. Perhaps the Van der Eycken family was very keen to show they were dedicated to maintaining justice and enforcing order, even at the risk of bloodshed. Editor: So you’re saying that instead of some moral conundrum, the crest is an emblem of ruthless authority meant to project power within society and its hierarchies? Curator: Indeed! Now, doesn't that context shift your perspective on the coin itself? It's not just a commemorative portrait, but a political statement etched in metal. The scale demands that it has another representational significance that can be used as a display of societal hierarchies. Editor: That's such a stark, unsettling way of viewing it. Now it seems like I have to be more critical in deconstructing symbols of authority. Curator: Absolutely. Every detail – the crest, the gibbet, the material – contributes to the story it's trying to sell, often perpetuating systemic biases. Editor: Well, I learned something about not taking the intent or message of works for granted. Thanks for unraveling this with me!