Herbouwde Munsterkirche te Aken
1854
Medium
striking (metalworking)
Dimensions
86.99; 5.9
About this artwork
Gift of J.M. van Gelder-Nijhoff
Art Historical Context
**Herbouwde Munsterkirche Aken** is a finely crafted struck medal by Belgian medallist Jacob Wiener, created in 1854. 5.9 cm in diameter and weighing 86.99 grams, this metalwork piece captures the rebuilt Minster Church (Münsterkirche) Aachen, Germany—a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned as one of Europe's oldest cathedrals, originally commissioned by Charlemagne in the 8th century. Wiener, a master of 19th-century numismatics, used the striking technique, where a die is hammered into softened metal to produce detailed, high-relief designs, evoking the precision of coin-making but elevated to...
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...