Gesprek tussen de jager, pastoor en Schulze
Medium
etching
Dimensions
106; 58
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
blad: hoogte 106 mm (binnen plaatrand afgesneden) x breedte 58 mm (binnen plaatrand afgesneden)
Art Historical Context
Daniel Nikolaus Chodowie's *Gesprek tussen de j, pastoor en Schul* (Conversation between the Hunter, Pastor and Schulze), created 1786, captures a quintessential 18th-century moment of social exchange. This intimate etching, measuring just mm high by 58 wide (trimmed within plate mark), reflects Chowiecki's mastery as leading German illustrator of the Enlightenment era. Born in Danzig (now Gdańsk) to a Polish family, he settled in Berlin and became director of the Academy of Arts producing over 2, prints that vividly depicted everyday life, moral dilemmas, and human interactions. The title evokes a lively dialogue among a hunter, a pastor, and a *Schulze*—likely a village mayor or schoolmaster—highlighting the era's fascination with rural and clerical figures in genre scenes. Chodowiecki's Rococo-influenced style shines through precise, expressive lines that convey character and narrative in a compact format, perfect for book illustrations or popular print collections. Etching, his preferred medium, allowed for intricate details and tonal subtlety via acid-bitten plates, making high-quality reproductions accessible to a growing middle-class audience. This work exemplifies Chodowiecki's cultural role in disseminating Enlightenment ideals through art, blending humor, satire, and social commentary. Visitors will appreciate its snapshot of 1780s European village life, preserved in a delicate, pocket-sized gem.
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...