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Commemorative and portrait medals gained popularity during the Renaissance and medal making spread out beyond the Italian peninsula. In the Netherlands, the period of intense economic change and new prosperity of the 17th century coincided with a new interest in medals as a portable, reproducible art form suitable for depicting a wide range of subjects. Some medals depict important people, like rulers, elected officials, naval and military heroes; some show events, such as significant battles, treaties signed, marriages; and others show buildings or institutions that spoke of the United Provinces’ prosperity and commerce, like the town hall and the stock exchange in Amsterdam. This medal is by Pieter van Abeele who came from the port city of Middleburg and became a silversmith in 1634. His medals date from between 1650 and 1678.
Requires Photography
William III and Mary, Princess Royal
Pieter van Abeele (Dutch, 1608–1684)
1654
Credit Line
The Maida and George Abrams Collection
Accession Number2021.241
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsEurope
ClassificationsNumismatics – Coins
Commemorative and portrait medals gained popularity during the Renaissance and medal making spread out beyond the Italian peninsula. In the Netherlands, the period of intense economic change and new prosperity of the 17th century coincided with a new interest in medals as a portable, reproducible art form suitable for depicting a wide range of subjects. Some medals depict important people, like rulers, elected officials, naval and military heroes; some show events, such as significant battles, treaties signed, marriages; and others show buildings or institutions that spoke of the United Provinces’ prosperity and commerce, like the town hall and the stock exchange in Amsterdam. This medal is by Pieter van Abeele who came from the port city of Middleburg and became a silversmith in 1634. His medals date from between 1650 and 1678.
Inscriptionsaround edge: MARIA D G PRINCEPS M BRIT AVRANT DOTARIA ETC / VABEELE F
reverse, lower banner: AN / WILHELMVS III D G / PRINC ARAVS ETC. / 1654
reverse, left center: PVA F
reverse, lower banner: AN / WILHELMVS III D G / PRINC ARAVS ETC. / 1654
reverse, left center: PVA F
Provenance1988, Princess Christina of the Netherlands (b. 1947 - d. 2019), The Hague; October 20, 1988, HRH Princess Christina of The Netherlands sale, Christie's, Amsterdam, lot 408, to George S. and Maida Abrams, Newton, MA; 2021, gift of George S. Abrams to the MFA. (Accession Date: April 14, 2021)