Overlijden van Maria II van Engeland 1695

This medallion by F. de Winter commemorates the death of Mary II of England. Note the two sides of the medallion. The first shows Mary’s effigy adorned with a laurel wreath, a classical symbol of honor and victory, and the other depicts the queen on her deathbed, attended by cherubic figures. Consider the evolution of the cherub motif itself. Rooted in ancient Near Eastern protective spirits, these winged figures evolved through Christian art into symbols of divine presence and innocence. Here, they signify solace and divine intervention at the moment of death. Similarly, the iconography of Mary on her deathbed draws upon centuries of artistic representations of mortality, echoing earlier depictions of saints and martyrs in their final moments. The image of Mary, frail and supine, speaks to the emotional and psychological weight of death, a universal experience that has driven artistic expression across cultures and eras. This medallion, therefore, is not merely a historical artifact but a potent symbol of enduring human concerns.