Huwelijk van Willem Karel Hendrik Friso met Prinses Anna van Engeland 1734 1734

This silver medal, created by Georg Wilhelm Vestner in 1734, commemorates the marriage of Willem Karel Hendrik Friso and Princess Anna of England. The circular form, divided into two distinct scenes, immediately suggests a dialectical interplay. On one side, we see profile busts, their gaze creating a visual tension that speaks to the complexities inherent in political unions. The opposite face presents a symbolic tableau: figures beneath an allegorical angel, flanked by trees bearing heraldic shields. The composition is carefully balanced, each element contributing to a semiotic structure that communicates power, lineage, and alliance. Consider how Vestner employs the rigid medium of metal to convey delicate textures and intricate details, thus underscoring the medal's dual function as both an aesthetic object and a potent symbol within a broader cultural and political discourse.