Cartouche met daaromheen vier personificaties van de seizoenen, bovenaan een portret van Saturnus in een medaillon
Medium
etching
Dimensions
103; 68
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
collector's mark: Lugt 2228
Art Historical Context
Daniel Nikolaus Chodowie, a prolific German artist of the late Enlightenment era (1726–1801), created this intricate etching in 1788 Titled *Cartouche met daaromheen personificaties van deen, bovenaan een portret van Saturnus een medaillon*, features an ornate cartouche—a decorative frame—encircled by four personifications the seasons. Atop sits a medallion portrait of Saturn, Roman god associated with time, agriculture, and the mythical Golden Age. Measuring just 103 mm high by 68 mm wide, this petite print invites close inspection, revealing Chodowiecki's mastery of fine detail. Chodowiecki, director of the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin, was renowned for his Rococo-inflected etchings that blended moral allegory with everyday elegance. This work reflects 18th-century fascination with classical mythology and the cyclical nature of time, common in decorative arts for books, prints, or albums. The seasons' personifications—likely symbolizing renewal and passage—frame the cartouche, evoking harmony between nature and antiquity. Etching allowed Chodowiecki to achieve delicate lines and textures suited to such small-scale designs, making it ideal for collectors' portfolios. Bearing the Lugt 2228 collector's mark, it hails from a distinguished 19th- or 20th-century album, underscoring its enduring appeal in European print culture. A charming window into Enlightenment symbolism!
About the Artist
Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki · 1726–1801
Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki (1726–1801) was a German painter and printmaker of Polish-Huguenot descent who became the most celebrated graphic artist in 18th-century Germany. Born in Danzig (now Gdańsk), he created approximately 2,000 etchings that serve as an invaluable visual record of German bourgeois life during the Enlightenment. Largely self-taught, Chodowiecki moved to Berlin in 1743 and ach...