Koning Willem I leent geld voor de armen - Jean Baptiste Ambroise Marcellin Jobard

A nineteenth-century lithograph depicting King William I of the Netherlands engaging in an act of charity for a group of impoverished citizens.

This lithograph by Jean Baptiste Ambroise Marcellin Jobard captures a narrative scene involving King William I of the Netherlands. The composition depicts the monarch in a top hat and formal coat, standing on a cobblestone street. He extends his hand toward a shopkeeper, who stands in a doorway. The King holds an umbrella, a detail that adds a sense of mundane reality to the royal figure. Behind the King, a group of impoverished individuals, including a woman holding an infant and a small child, wait in anticipation. The scene is framed by the architectural lines of the shop front, which bears the inscription 'FERBLANTIER'.

The text below the image reads, 'Mon ami prête moi quelqu'argent, ce n'est pas pour moi c'est pour ces pauvres gens.' This caption clarifies the King's intent, framing the interaction as an act of charity. Jobard, a Belgian lithographer and inventor, often engaged with contemporary social and political themes through his printmaking. His work frequently utilised the lithographic medium to disseminate visual commentary on public figures and societal conditions during the early nineteenth century.

The print exhibits the technical precision characteristic of Jobard's output. The shading is achieved through fine cross-hatching and stippling, creating a sense of volume in the figures and texture in the stone street. The composition is balanced, with the King acting as the central figure connecting the shopkeeper to the group of needy citizens. This piece provides a glimpse into the visual culture of the period, where lithography functioned as a primary vehicle for both political portraiture and social observation. The work remains a clear example of the intersection between royal iconography and the depiction of everyday life in the nineteenth century.