Overlijden van Frederik Willem II van Pruisen 1786 1786

This silver medal by Johan George Holtzhey commemorates the death of Frederick William II of Prussia in 1786. On the reverse, we see an array of symbols. The broken column, a motif stretching back to ancient Roman funerary art, signifies a life interrupted. A crown resting atop an urn represents lost sovereignty, while discarded weapons symbolize the end of earthly battles. Even the clouds above seem to weep, bearing witness to this earthly loss. Consider how similar symbols appear in Renaissance paintings or Baroque sculptures, each time adapted to express contemporary sentiments of grief and remembrance. The crown motif, for instance, echoes in various royal portraits across Europe, each reiterating claims to power and legacy. Here, however, it is inverted in the context of death. Such iconography taps into our collective memory, stirring subconscious associations of loss, power, and the inevitable passage of time. The potent imagery of the medal serves as a powerful reminder of our shared human experience, subtly engaging our emotions. This cycle of symbols, continually resurfacing, transforming, and acquiring fresh meanings across history, reflects our ongoing dialogue with the past.