Napoléon's Conquest of Austria 1805

Editor: This is L. Mediolani's "Napoléon's Conquest of Austria," a bronze medal. It's really small, but the detail is remarkable. One side shows Napoleon, the other a defeated woman. What stands out to you about this piece? Curator: The medal embodies material propaganda, mass-produced to disseminate a political message. The very act of minting these medals, the labor involved, and their circulation celebrate Napoleon's dominance through material consumption. Editor: So, it's less about artistry, more about manufacturing power? Curator: Exactly. The bronze itself symbolizes the industrial capacity fueling Napoleon's war machine. What does this tell us about the relationship between art and power? Editor: I guess it shows that even small, mass-produced objects can be powerful tools for shaping public perception. Curator: Precisely. It makes you consider value, labor, and how objects participate in larger economic and social narratives.