Eerste steenlegging van het Vredepaleis 1907

Here's a bronze medal commemorating the laying of the first stone of the Peace Palace, made by H. Makkink. It's not exactly painting, but it is definitely art! It's like Makkink has dug into the surface, carving this design from some metal ore, building up a portrait in low relief. You can feel the artist’s hand pushing and pulling the material to make these figures rise from the surface. The portrait of Andrew Carnegie on one side looks like a monument to the man and on the reverse, there is a symbol of peace. It's really beautiful. I like imagining the artist, caught up in the process, slowly revealing these figures. Metalwork like this is a testament to the transformative power of art. How a basic substance like bronze can, through skill and vision, become a thing of beauty and meaning.