Conveners
S83. MEDALS 1. FEMALE RULERSHIP & ROYAL REPRESENTATION ON MEDALS FROM 17TH TO 18TH CENTURY
- Ylva Haidenthaller (Lund University)
Description
Org.: Ylva Haidenthaller, Anna Lörnitzo; chair: Ylva Haidenthaller
Although male rulers tend to dominate the early modern historical narrative, there were also successful women who, for decades, directed the diverse political affairs of their dominions, leaving a significant numismatic imprint as they commemorated their deeds and achievements on medals.
While gender research is already an increasing area of the historical sciences, it is only rarely applied in numismatic studies. Many aspects regarding the role of women in coinage remain unexplored. However, studies on the depiction of female rulers on coins and medals are of particular interest because they add to the understanding of royal image-making.
The aim of this session is to focus on female ruler’s iconography on medals. The lectures will examine the medal production of European Empresses and Queens regnant from the 17th to the 18th century, namely Queen Christina of Sweden (reg. 1632–1654), Queen Anne of Ireland and England (reg. 1702–1714), (Empress) Maria Theresa of Austria (reg. 1740–1780) and Empress regnant of Russia Catherine the Great (reg. 1762–1796).
The contributions will address aspects such as the public representation through portraits on coins and medals, the interaction between the court and media through official medals, the target audience of their medals, as well as the distribution and commercialisation of medals. The papers will touch upon whether these monarchs employed specific female imagery or male representation codes to underline their position, emphasising dynastic inheritance, and how they portrayed topics such as succession or warfare.
These four rulers offer -not least by their geographic variety - an opportunity for a comparative approach to the study of the iconography of female rulership. Eventually, this session is expected to broaden the insight into early modern royal representation on medals.
As patron of the arts, Queen Christina was actively engaged in the design and production of her medals. She invited medal artists from abroad to work for her at the Swedish court and sought the development of medal art. Most of all, she launched a unique iconographic style. In contrast to her predecessors and successors, Queen Christina employed an antique-inspired imagery unusual for that...
This talk will deal with the representation of Queen Anne on the medals of the Royal Mint in London during her reign, from 1702 to 1714.
We propose to address the link between coins and the first medal of the reign, and the evolution of her bust during her reign.
Finally, we propose to address the evolution of production of medals during her reign, as a part of the royal representation as...
Images play a major role in the media strategies of politicians, who aim to increase their prestige and authority. That is of course the case nowadays and it was already so in the days of Empress Maria Theresa. By then, medals had become suitable tools of propaganda and historiography. Nowadays, they are unique sources on the visual culture and royal image-making. During Maria Theresa’s...
