De vestiging van het Nederlands gezag in Indië herdacht, 1902 after 1902

This medal was made by Johan Melchior Faddegon in 1902 to commemorate the establishment of Dutch authority in the Indies. It’s a small, circular object, and the color palette is restrained – mostly whites and creams with a golden rim. What strikes me is the delicate, almost ghostly quality of the image. The artist has rendered the scene in such low relief that it’s as if the image is emerging from the surface, like a memory or a dream. You can see a lion, a symbol of Dutch power, and other figures and inscriptions, but they are all so subtly rendered. The texture of the medal looks smooth, but if you look closely, you can see the small marks and details that the artist has painstakingly created. It reminds me of some of Vija Celmins’ work. Art is always a conversation. It invites us to consider multiple perspectives and interpretations.