Netherlands Silver Medal '1679' Joost van den Vondel (1587–1679) - His death in 1679 EF

Netherlands — Joost van den Vondel (1587–1679). Memorial medal commemorating his death in 1679. Traditionally attributed to Johannes Lutma the Younger.

An elaborate portrait medal commemorating the Dutch poet and playwright Joost van den Vondel, combining his portrait with the swan associated with his celebrated epithet, the “Batavian Swan”.

Obverse: Draped bust of Vondel, nearly facing and turned slightly to the right, enclosed within a wreath entwined with an inscribed ribbon. His name, JOOST VAN DEN VONDEL, is distributed across the ribbon, with his date of death recorded below: 5 February 1679.

Reverse: A swan standing to the right with its wings raised, surrounded by a corresponding wreath and ribbon. The inscription honours Vondel as the country’s oldest and greatest poet. The ribbon below records his birth on 17 November 1587.

The deeply modelled portrait, sculptural treatment of the swan and elaborate ribbon borders give the medal a distinctive character. Both sides display a warm, gold-coloured surface, apparently gilt; the underlying metal and nature of the surface finish have not been independently established.

Historical background

Joost van den Vondel was a leading figure in seventeenth-century Dutch literature, particularly celebrated for his poetry and dramatic works, including Gysbreght van Aemstel. His literary career was closely associated with Amsterdam. Following his death on 5 February 1679, he was buried in the Nieuwe Kerk on 8 February, his coffin carried by fourteen poets and admirers of poetry.

The pairing of his portrait with the “Batavian Swan” presents a tribute to both the individual and his literary reputation.

Amsterdam Museum comparison

A closely comparable medal of the same type is preserved in the Amsterdam Museum, inventory number PA 469, under the title Overlijden van Joost van den Vondel (“Death of Joost van den Vondel”).

The publicly reproduced museum record attributes that specimen to Johannes (II) Lutma, dates it to 1679, and records it as silver, measuring 61 × 61 × 9 mm, with a weight of 57.62 g. It entered the museum collection through a bequest in 1885.

The present specimen weighs 57.45 g and measures 63.5 mm in diameter. The museum comparison documents the design; its recorded material, date and provenance refer specifically to the museum’s own specimen.



Weight: 57.45 g
Diameter: 63.5 mm

References:
Van Loon, Nederlandsche Historipenningen, vol. III, p. 283, no. 2.
Amsterdam Museum, inv. PA 469, Overlijden van Joost van den Vondel.

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