Jozef Klemens, prins-bisschop van Luik te Rijssel gewijd tot aartsbisschop van Keulen 1707

This is a small medal made by an anonymous artist to commemorate Jozef Klemens being ordained as Archbishop of Cologne. The medal serves as a material marker of power, designed to circulate and embed the Archbishop’s authority within the social fabric. By producing many of these medals it would have functioned as a form of propaganda. The imagery on the medal is steeped in symbolism. On one side, a dove radiates light, hovering above a bishop’s mitre, a staff and sword are placed in the background. These symbols reflect the divine authority, spiritual leadership, and temporal power invested in Jozef Klemens. The use of Latin in the inscriptions, “VENI CREATOR MUNE” and “CONSECRATIO CLEMENTIS ARCHIEPISCOPI COLONIENSIS,” evokes the historical and ecclesiastical context. The medal thus encapsulates the intertwining of religious authority, personal identity, and political power in the figure of Jozef Klemens.