Utrechtse groot van Rudolf van Diepholt, 1433-1455 1433 - 1455

Editor: So, here we have a bronze relief carving from between 1433 and 1455, titled "Utrechtse groot van Rudolf van Diepholt." It looks like a coin or medallion, and it has a solemn feel. How do you interpret this work? Curator: Well, it's essential to contextualize this coin within the political and economic landscape of the medieval Netherlands. Rudolf van Diepholt was a Bishop, a powerful figure. The creation and circulation of coinage were integral to his authority. Consider, what does it mean for a religious leader to control currency in a period marked by nascent capitalism and stark class divides? Editor: That’s fascinating! It speaks to a consolidation of power, doesn't it? Was this common at the time? Curator: Exactly! And that's the question we should be asking. Who benefited, and who was further marginalized by this system? How might contemporary socio-economic inequalities find roots in these historical practices? Furthermore, what narratives of gender or religious identities are excluded from this representation of power? The creation of this coin as a deliberate assertion of control speaks volumes. Editor: I never considered the act of minting a coin as such a political statement. Thinking about the narratives that it omits versus what it reinforces...it really changes the piece for me. Curator: It's all about digging beneath the surface, right? Seeing the threads that connect history to the present and challenging dominant narratives. Editor: I’ll definitely look at other coinage from this perspective from now on. Thanks so much! Curator: A pleasure! Never stop questioning!