Vers op de illuminaties bij de 40ste verjaardag van prins Willem V, 1788 1788

This anonymous broadside from 1788, housed in the Rijksmuseum, commemorates the 40th birthday of Willem V, the Stadtholder of the Netherlands. The work, titled "Vers op de illuminaties bij de 40ste verjaardag van prins Willem V, 1788" ("Verses on the illuminations for the 40th birthday of Prince Willem V, 1788"), utilizes a poetic form to address the Stadtholder's rule. The text is framed by an elaborate border and includes several rhetorical questions, likely meant to provoke thought and admiration for Willem V. This piece offers a glimpse into the cultural and political climate of the Netherlands during the late 18th century.