De Nieuwe Koning Zeeziek (The New King Seasick)

This hand-colored etching mocks Prince Leopold's journey to Belgium during the Belgian Revolution of 1830-1831. Two military officers forcibly administer medicine to a nauseated, sword-wielding figure seated in a chair, while a third officer thrusts a bowl toward him—a visual metaphor for the turbulent political situation Leopold was inheriting as the new Belgian king. The print exemplifies 19th-century European political satire's tradition of bodily humor and crude medical imagery to ridicule public figures and state affairs. Descended from Hogarth and Gillray's moral narratives, such broadsheets blended personal caricature with political commentary, reaching mass audiences through affordable hand-colored prints. The Dutch inscription and satirical treatment reflect the contentious dynastic and territorial politics surrounding Belgium's independence from the Netherlands.