Satirical lithograph of a cauldron with flames, a central balance scale, and small figures in a ring, with a Dutch caption along the bottom.

To Be or Not to Be: Dutch State Examination Satire, 1850

A satirical lithograph on cream paper shows a large cauldron with smoke and flames at the top and a balance scale at the center, with small figures scattered in a ring around the scene. At right, a tall building stands among small figures, and a Dutch caption along the bottom reads Te zijn of niet te zijn.

Artist: Jan Karel Jacob de Jonge (mogelijk)
Date: 1850
Medium
Source: Rijksmuseum
Size: 4000 × 2801 px

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Public domain · Rijksmuseum marks it Public Domain Mark; made by 1850.
Rights checked 2026-11-05 · tier A · as stated by the source: Public Domain Mark (Rijksmuseum, image license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/)

Credit (appreciated, not required for public-domain works): Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam

19th century satire 1850s 1850 print cartoon lithograph cauldron balance scale netherlands state examination student