De maandokter

About this artwork

collector's mark: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowie, a prolific Polish-German artist and director of the Berlin Academy of Arts created *De maandokter* 1788. This intimate etching, measuring just 117mm high by 66mm wide, exemplifies Chodowiecki's mastery miniature printmaking during the late Enlightenment. Renowned for over 2,000 etchings that captured everyday life, social satire, and moral vignettes he often depicted the quirks of 18th-century European society with sharp wit and delicate linework. The title, Dutch for "The Monthly Doctor," likely pokes fun at quack physicians or folk healers addressing women's health issues tied to lunar cycles—a common satirical trope in Chodowiecki's oeuvre. Etching, his preferred medium, allowed for intricate details and mass reproduction, making his works accessible to a wide audience through books and collections. This technique's fine aquatint-like textures brought humor and humanity to probing social commentary. Bearing the collector's mark Lugt 2228, this piece reflects the enduring appeal of Chodowiecki's art among connoisseurs. It invites us to chuckle at historical absurdities while appreciating the artist's keen eye for human folly in an era of emerging medical science.

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...