Overlijden van Charles de Brouckere, burgemeester van Brussel 1860

This medal, created by Leopold Wiener, commemorates the death of Charles de Brouckere, mayor of Brussels. Notice on the reverse side, the allegorical figure of grief. This figure, draped and mourning, is steeped in history. We see its echoes in ancient Roman depictions of mourning figures, often found on sarcophagi, and even further back in Greek tragedies, where grief was a central theme. The specific gesture of the figure, head in hand, is a poignant symbol of sorrow. This posture transcends time, reappearing in various guises throughout art history, from classical sculptures to Renaissance paintings. It speaks to a deep, subconscious understanding of grief, connecting us to past generations who have expressed sorrow in similar ways. The symbolic language of grief, deeply rooted in our collective memory, continues to resurface, evolving yet retaining its core emotional power.