Vijftigjarige herdenking van de slag bij Waterloo 1865

This medal, made by Salomon de Vries, commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. Here, allegorical figures dominate the composition, charged with meaning from classical antiquity. Notice the two draped female figures. One holds a staff topped with a Phrygian cap, a symbol of freedom and revolution, harking back to ancient Roman iconography where it signified the freeing of slaves. This cap experienced a resurgence during the French Revolution. The other is winged like an angel. The lion at their feet might allude to bravery and the British. But look closely; these symbols are not isolated. Throughout history, emblems of liberty and strength recur, shaped by cultural memory. Consider how the Phrygian cap, once a beacon of emancipation, is now a symbol of the French Republic. Such motifs are never static but evolve, accumulating layers of meaning. The emotional weight of these symbols engages us, echoing through the corridors of time, stirring a sense of collective experience. These symbols speak to a cyclical view of history, where motifs resurface, transformed yet familiar, in an ongoing dialogue across generations.