Spotprent op de plannen tot de oprichting van een Girobank, 1836 1836

This is an anonymous print from 1836, anticipating the function of the Girobank in the Netherlands. Before formal banking systems, trust networks often relied on personal relationships and community ties. This print offers a social critique of the shift toward institutional finance. Each panel reveals a different aspect of the bank's supposed function, suggesting both benefits and potential pitfalls. The artist depicts the Girobank as a site where credit is both given and taken, and where individual struggles intersect with broader economic forces. There is a focus on how these changes will affect different social classes, from merchants to laborers. There is a sense of anxiety about the changing economic landscape. The print invites us to consider how the Girobank may reshape social relations and redistribute power within the community. It reflects the social, emotional, and personal impact of these new systems on people's lives.