Zestien penningen met versierde lijsten, waarvan acht blanco 1647 - 1682

Curator: Before us, we have “Sixteen Medals with Decorated Borders, Eight of Which are Blank” created by Simon de la Boissière between 1647 and 1682. Editor: My immediate impression is of a highly ordered yet incomplete world. The precise engraving style combined with the empty medals is strangely unsettling. Curator: Indeed. Boissière’s use of line is quite striking. Consider the baroque ornamentation surrounding each medallion – its complex, rhythmic design adds an exquisite formal structure. How do you view it? Editor: The engraving technique points directly to the skilled labor involved. These were reproduced for circulation— perhaps as templates? Notice also the white palette. It strips down the imagery to its basic structure and reveals the underlying material composition of ink on paper. Curator: The contrast is interesting. Certain medallions contain stylized portraits of crowned figures. They suggest historical references. The composition creates tension between representation and pure visual form. Editor: Absolutely, and that’s key to interpreting its meaning in context. Were these symbols of power available for widespread viewing? How did these circulating images democratize or reinforce systems of power and authority? The blank ones also present interesting material questions—perhaps intended for specific personalization or left intentionally blank? Curator: It’s also impossible not to appreciate the technical expertise required to produce these images, with the engraving imbuing the composition with symbolic, representative, and expressive potentials. It's an engagement between design and cultural meaning. Editor: A telling tension between image production, social role, and accessibility through material objects that invites so much contemplation. Curator: Very much. A fruitful engagement that expands our appreciation of Boissière’s work!