Ter ere van Ferdinand I, Duits keizer, zijn zoon Maximiliaan II en diens vrouw Maria 1563

This silver medal, now in the Rijksmuseum, presents portraits of Ferdinand I, Maximiliaan II, and Maria. The medal's circular form, and the incised lettering around the edges, frame the central figures in tight compositions on each side. Notice how the incised lines create texture and depth, particularly in the rendering of the figures' garments and facial features. One side presents a single male figure in profile, while the reverse depicts a male and female, also in profile, conjoined. The portraits' sharp lines and shallow depth of field emphasize their physical likenesses but also the symbolic nature of representation and power, while minimizing individuality. Consider the medal’s function, a commemorative object, designed for distribution and exchange. Its structure and design speak to the transmission of power and dynastic lineage. The medal's materiality and form work together to reinforce notions of permanence and authority. The medal is not merely a visual object but a concentrated expression of social and political values.