Overlijden van Sebastiaan Schertlin van Burtenbach, raad en overste van Karel V 1577

This silver medal commemorates the death of Sebastiaan Schertlin van Burtenbach, an advisor to Charles V; it was made by Balduin Drentwett. Medals like this one were more than mere mementos. They performed a key function in the 16th century's political theater. Portraiture in medals and coins played a crucial role in shaping public perception of the sitters they portrayed. Note how Schertlin is presented here: he wears a stylish hat and an elegant fur coat. His beard is neatly trimmed, and he looks every bit the successful courtier. This is a highly controlled image of power and status designed to portray the sitter in a specific light. To fully understand the medal's creation and meaning, it's important to consider the cultural, social, and political context in which it was created. To do that, historians consult archival documents, period publications, and other primary sources. The beauty of art lies in the wealth of its possible meanings, but those meanings are historically contingent.