Hertog Leopold von Braunschweig gaat zijn dood in de Oder tegemoet

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, a prolific Polish-German engraver and director of the Berlin Academy of (1726–1801), captures a dramatic moment of history in this 1785 titled *Hertog Leopold von Braunsch gaat zijn dood in de tegemoet* ("Duke Leopold of Brunswick Goes to Meet His Death in the Oder Measuring a modest 215 × 225 mm, the work depicts the ill-fated duke confronting his watery demise in the Oder River, blending historical narrative with emotional intensity typical of Chodowiecki's Enlightenment-era style. Chodowiecki excelled in small-scale etchings like this one, using acid to bite intricate lines into a metal plate for reproductions that made history accessible to a wide audience. His Rococo-influenced precision conveys pathos and moral reflection, evoking the era's fascination with heroic tragedy and human frailty. The scene likely draws from 17th-century chronicles of Duke Leopold's drowning, transforming a somber event into a visually compelling tableau. Bearing a collector's mark (Lugt 2228) stamped verso, this print hints at its esteemed provenance among connoisseurs. As an affordable yet masterful medium, Chodowiecki's etching underscores printmaking's role in democratizing art during the late 18th century, inviting viewers to ponder fate's inexorability.

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...