Wilhelm I, Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia ('Holy Willie's Prayer')
1 of 111 portraits by Frederick Arnold







© National Portrait Gallery, London
- Buy a print
- Use this image
- Share this
Wilhelm I, Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia ('Holy Willie's Prayer')
published by Frederick Arnold, after Unknown artist
lithograph, published in the Hornet 4 January 1871
15 3/4 in. x 10 7/8 in. (399 mm x 276 mm) paper size
Purchased, 2017
Reference Collection
NPG D48217
Sitterback to top
- Wilhelm I, Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia (1797-1888), Emperor of Germany and King of Prussia, ruled 1861-88. Sitter associated with 16 portraits.
Artistsback to top
- Frederick Arnold (active 1870s), Magazine publisher. Artist associated with 111 portraits.
- Unknown artist, Artist. Artist associated with 6555 portraits.
Subjects & Themesback to top
Events of 1871back to top
Current affairs
Gladstone's first ministry continues with its programme of reform, with an overhaul of the civil service which is opened to public examination. The University Test Acts allow non-members of the Church of England to hold posts at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The Trade Union Act granted full legal status to trade union organisations, although the Criminal Law Amendment Act banned picketing.The first FA Cup competition is held.
Art and science
The Penny Farthing, the first efficient bicycle, is invented by British engineer, James Starley.The artist James Whistler paints a portrait of his mother, calling the nearly monochromatic portrait Arrangement in Grey and Black. Although now one of Whistler's most recognisable paintings, it was nearly rejected by the Royal Academy at first.
International
France's shock defeat against Prussia radically alters Europe's status quo, leading to the deposition of Napoleon III and the creation of France's Third Republic, as well as Germany's unification and rise in military power and imperialist ambitions, as the Prussian King William I is pronounced Emperor of Germany. Further, Germany's annexing of the French regions Alsace and Lorraine provoked bitter land disputes which contributed to the outbreak of the First World War.Tell us more back to top
Can you tell us more about this portrait? Spotted an error, information that is missing (a sitter’s life dates, occupation or family relationships, or a date of portrait for example) or do you know anything that we don't know? If you have information to share please complete the form below.
If you require information from us, please use our Archive enquiry service. You can buy a print of most illustrated portraits. Select the portrait of interest to you, then look out for a Buy a Print button. Prices start at £6 for unframed prints, £25 for framed prints. If you wish to license this image, please use our Rights and Images service.
Please note that we cannot provide valuations.
We digitise over 8,000 portraits a year and we cannot guarantee being able to digitise images that are not already scheduled.
Related pages
- Searching for Shakespeare
- Brilliant Women
- Popular Prints of Victoria and Albert
- Nelson: before and after Trafalgar
- Making History: Printed Portraiture in Tudor and Stuart Britain
- Gunpowder, Treason and Plot
- Chartist Portraits
- Silhouettes display, 2004-05
- William Hazlitt's Spirit of the Age
- Return to Life: A New Look at the Portrait Bust
- Restoration Lives: Samuel Pepys and His Circle
- Theodore de Mayerne
- Mary, Queen of Scots: Fact and Fiction
- Mary, Queen of Scots
- Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Art Conservation Project
- Rebel women
- 2019 Anniversaries
- Tudor and Elizabethan matching pairs
Tell us more
Join & Support
Framed & unframed prints
Choose your favourite portrait from our Collection as a framed or unframed print for your home.