Niel Steenbergen - VPK Carnaval brons

The sculptor Niel Steenbergen was a storyteller. He was raised by Bronner in a love for Romanesque and Gothic portal sculpture and he retained that love throughout his working life. He developed a preference for small, mobile, often crazy, imaginative figures in often complicated compositions. In this one recognizes the legacy of his admiration for medieval sculpture. Steenbergen has a large oeuvre to his name; more than a hundred tokens, a great deal of ecclesiastical work and free images. The obverse of the Carnival medal bears the inscription: 'Cum jejunatis nolite fieri sicut hypocritae tristes'. Something like: Don't walk around with a straight face when you're fasting. Carnival is, after all, one last expression of joy before Lent begins. The detailed depiction shows an elated, mouth-pulling group in a cart and a pig with a bow. The bow appears to consist of the letters P and K. A figure in the middle carries a fish as an indication of Lent. On the reverse is Prince Carnival, surrounded by the busy and bizarre carnival procession that rises on the edge of the medal face. The figuration is distinctly modelled, but it is a medallion: this refined detailing would not have been possible with sand casting.