Penning op het eeuwfeest van de Utrechtse Hogeschool, 1736 1736

Curator: This piece, housed here at the Rijksmuseum, is a commemorative medal crafted in 1736 by François van Bleyswijck. It's titled "Penning op het eeuwfeest van de Utrechtse Hogeschool, 1736," celebrating the centennial of Utrecht University. Editor: My first thought is the intense allegorical language. It’s quite baroque; a drama is unfolding even in this small circular format. Curator: Precisely! The medal is divided into two scenes, each laden with symbolism relevant to the university and its values. One side depicts the "Atrium Libertatis," or courtyard of liberty, suggesting a haven for free thought. Editor: That courtyard imagery is immediately striking. We see a figure taming beasts, signifying the arts conquering savagery and ignorance. And Athena herself presides, a protector of that space. It reminds me of discussions about safe spaces versus free speech within academia today. How power is protected. Curator: It also ties into the historical narrative of universities as places for civilizing and moral improvement, something profoundly embedded in institutional purpose and justification from that era. Editor: Yes, a purpose which, even now, must be examined. Let's consider that inscription, "Monstris Domitis Artes Resipiunt." With monsters tamed, the arts flourish. This reveals the assumption of a binary—arts versus base instincts—a simplification worth challenging. Curator: A challenge relevant to the time of its creation as well. This medal acted as institutional promotion, it's meant to affirm that perceived purpose and virtue for benefactors, visitors, or prospective professors and students. The opposite side proclaims “Sol Iustitiae Illustra Nos,” begging for enlightenment through law. Editor: Look closer. We see the river god pointing at the inscription, at that petition to be enlightened through law. His location next to the university anniversary dedication begs us to contemplate if the university's goal to shine justice to the public really plays out that way. Curator: It encourages critical examination of an institution's past promises as they're aligned to power. Bleyswijck's choices encourage these sorts of dialogue around what a University should stand for. Editor: Absolutely. Even this small engraving provokes thinking about larger questions about higher education, enlightenment ideals, and their relationship to society. Curator: Indeed. I appreciate how analyzing this medal can open up pathways to thinking about enduring cultural ideals, still alive, well, and ever evolving in modern academic environments.