Overlijden van Maximiliaan Julius Leopold, hertog van Brunswijk, verdronken in de Oder tijdens overstromingen

About this artwork

Zilveren penning. Voorzijde: borststuk man binnen omschrift. Keerzijde: gekroonde vrouw met wapenschild zit treurend naast lijkbus binnen omschrift; afsnede: opschrift.

Art Historical Context

This exquisite silver medallion, struck by the renowned Berlin medallist Abraham Abramson in1785, commemorates the tragic death ofiliaan Julius Leopold, Duke of. Measuring just 4.2 cm in diameter and weighing 27.95 grams, it exemplifies the precision of 18th-century metalworking through the striking technique, where a die is hammered into softened silver to create finely detailed reliefs. The obverse features a dignified bust portrait of the duke an encircling inscription, capturing his noble profile with classical elegance. On the reverse, a poignant scene unfolds: a crowned woman, symbolizing perhaps the duchy of Brunswick or the river Oder itself, sits in mourning beside a funeral urn adorned with the family's coat of arms. This allegorical composition evokes deep sorrow for the duke's drowning during devastating floods in the Oder River that year, a natural disaster that claimed many lives. Inscriptions on both sides and the edge provide a somber epitaph, blending historical record with artistic lament. Abramson's mastery of neoclassical medal design made such pieces prized tokens of remembrance, distributed among Europe's elite to honor fallen nobility. This small yet powerful artwork invites us to reflect on the fragility of life amid nature's fury, bridging personal loss with public legacy.

About the Artist

Abraham Abramson · 1754–1811

Abraham Abramson (1754-1811) was a pioneering Prussian medallist and die-engraver who achieved the remarkable distinction of becoming the first Jewish member of the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1792. Born in Potsdam, Brandenburg, he worked initially with his father Jacob Abraham before establishing himself as one of the most prolific medallists of the late 18th and early 19th centuries, creating ov...