Overlijden van stadhouder Willem II 1650

Curator: This is a commemorative medal, “Overlijden van stadhouder Willem II,” or "The Death of Stadtholder William II," crafted in 1650 by Sebastian Dadler. Immediately striking is the intricate relief on what appears to be silver or perhaps another reflective metal. What's your initial take? Editor: There's a strangeness, a surreal juxtaposition of earthly mourning and some kind of wild, almost baroque ascension into fluffy clouds! Like two worlds forced onto one small disc. Curator: Exactly. It's important to remember these weren't just aesthetic objects; medals like this served as potent tools of political messaging and social memory. On one side, a horse is escaping, the landscape on the ground, and it says in latin MDCL XXX JULII – "Crimes from then On”. This is on the day he got arrest to limit his power. It symbolises order is restored and the next side shows in NOVEMBRIS "August Day", which symbolises the chaos unleashed when he died in November 1650. This work speaks volumes about material investment in creating a particular narrative. Editor: The horse is a strong political message, you have so much context with a symbolic figure within chaos, and then an ascension happening to the heavens, which could refer to the power vacuum and anxieties around succession perhaps. But Dadler renders even grief as opulent theatre! Curator: He was quite the character—Dadler moved across Europe, working in various courts. Considering his employment contexts and his skill as an engraver on metal—materials often tied to power and authority, we can begin to trace connections between the artist, his patron, and broader societal values. Editor: Absolutely! These aren't neutral objects—they're condensed propaganda made precious! This is so sad but the death, its all beautiful in a way to immortalise such political moment of shift! Curator: Yes, consider the original owner, touching it, looking at the moment forever captured in their hands... Editor: These objects are not only beautiful craftsmanship; they also make political and social questions tangible. Curator: And that's what makes looking at works such as this so valuable. A small token holds volumes and still speaks to us so vividly.