Overlijden van Willem IV
Medium
striking (metalworking)
Dimensions
83.94; 6.4
About this artwork
Schenking van mevrouw J.M. van Gelder-Nijhoff
Art Historical Context
Behold the poignant *Overlijden van Willem IV* (Death of William IV), a struck metal medal crafted by Dutch medalist Nicolaas van Swinderen in 1751. Measuring just 6.4 cm in diameter and weighing substantial 83.94 grams, this intimate artwork captures a moment of national mourning in the Dutch Republic. William IV, Prince of Orange and Stadtholder, passed away that October at age 39, leaving a young heir and a power vacuum that reshaped Dutch politics amid tensions with the Austrian Habsburgs. Swinderen, a skilled exponent of 18th-century Dutch metalworking, employed the striking technique—ha...