Oprichting van een standbeeld voor Justus Lipsius te Overijse

About this artwork

Schenking van mevrouw J.M. van Gelder-Nijhoff

Art Historical Context

This striking medal, created by Belgian medallist Jacob Wiener in 3, commemorates the unveiling of a statue honoring Justus Lipsius in Overijse, Belgium. Measuring 5.1 centimeters in diameter and weighing nearly 55 grams, the work exemplifies the art of struck metal medallions—a precise technique involving engraved dies and high-pressure stamping that was widely used in the nineteenth century to produce durable, portable tributes to public events and cultural figures. Justus Lipsius (1547–1606) was a renowned Flemish humanist scholar whose editions of classical texts and philosophical writings on Stoicism influenced European intellectual life for generations. The medal captures the moment of local pride when Overijse, Lipsius’s birthplace, erected a monument to celebrate his enduring legacy. Wiener’s crisp engraving style, typical of the period’s revival of Renaissance medal-making traditions, transforms this civic occasion into a lasting historical record. Donated to the collection by Mrs. J.M. van Gelder-Nijhoff, the piece offers visitors a tangible connection to both the nineteenth-century veneration of Renaissance thinkers and the skilled metalworking practices that preserved such moments for posterity.

About the Artist

Jacob Wiener · 1815–1899

Jacob Wiener (1815–1899), also known as Jacques Wiener, was a Belgian medallist and engraver of exceptional skill whose work left an indelible mark on 19th-century European numismatic art. Born on February 27, 1815, in Hoerstgen (in present-day Germany), Wiener would become one of Belgium's most distinguished engravers, contributing significantly to the young nation's cultural identity through his...