Bescheidenheid van Albrecht en Isabella van Oostenrijk 1620

Editor: So this print from 1620 depicts Albert and Isabella of Austria. The inscription calls it "Bescheidenheid" or "Modesty." It seems to be printed on a bronze or copper coin, which I find unusual. What are your thoughts about it? Curator: The choice of metal and its production process are significant here. Striking a medal like this wasn’t merely about creating an image; it was about manufacturing consent and projecting power through a reproducible, distributable object. What message does that materiality convey about their reign, do you think? Editor: Maybe that they were trying to project stability, something solid and lasting? Given the ongoing conflicts at the time, creating something permanent from metal sends a signal of strength. Curator: Precisely. The metal itself—the cost, the labor involved in mining, smelting, and striking—it all speaks to an economy of power. Look also at the imagery: the anchor, the intertwined rope. Consider how the engraving would have required specialized labor. How does the imagery speak to their aspirations? Editor: I see… the anchor symbolizes hope and stability, something solid and enduring. Almost like they are marketing themselves. It makes you consider their use of resources for this medal. Curator: Exactly! Consider how portraits are commodities, then and now. In using such robust, lasting materials and a process that ensured mass production, Albert and Isabella aimed for broad dissemination of a specific image: one of modest, reliable, divinely-ordained rule. The coin transcends art, functioning more like propaganda by manipulating the use of materials, which influenced labor. Editor: That really changes how I see it. I was focused on it being a portrait, but thinking about it as manufactured spin using precious materials is fascinating. Thank you. Curator: My pleasure. It is always productive to re-evaluate works of art from various viewpoints.