French Satirical Print on the Coronation of William III, 1689

This engraving mocks William III's coronation through allegorical imagery typical of seventeenth-century political prints. The upper register shows a ceremonial scene with classical figures holding shields and regalia; the lower panel depicts personified nations and virtues responding to the event, with a calendar (Almanach) at bottom. The French print tradition—influenced by Reformation broadsheets and developing alongside Hogarth's later work—used layered symbolism, emblems, and caricatured physiognomy to attack foreign rulers and domestic rivals. Such prints circulated widely as single sheets, establishing the visual vocabulary of political satire that would evolve through Gillray and Daumier into modern cartooning. This example reflects Franco-English tensions and the propaganda wars accompanying the Glorious Revolution.