Veertigjarig regeringsjubileum Koningin Wilhelmina 1938 1938

This bronze medal commemorating Queen Wilhelmina's 40th year on the throne was made by M.S. Andriessen in 1938. I can only imagine the artist hunched over this thing, and the weight of history they might have felt depicting royalty like this. The queen's severe gaze and the inscription, a prayer to God, really make me wonder what was going through Andriessen's head at the time. Was this a commission they felt proud of, or was it just a job? It's funny to think about how an artist's hands are so similar whether they are working with paint, bronze or anything in between. There's a directness in the touch, a focus on texture and surface. And it's those little gestures, those marks that give the piece its depth. It’s a reminder that artists across time are connected. They build upon the past, borrowing, stealing, and reinterpreting. Making art is a continuous dialogue where ambiguity is not a flaw, but a strength.