Karel IX hoort de bel luiden

About this artwork

Vervaardigd voor 'Charles IX' van Marie-Joseph Chénier. Latere staat gebruikt voor: Goettinger Taschen Calender für 1791. bey Joh. Chr. Dietrich. Göttingen: Johann Christoph Dietrich, [1790].

Art Historical Context

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, a prolific Prussian artist and master printmaker of the late Enlightenment, created this intimate etching *Karel IX hoort de luiden* ("Charles IX Hears the Bell Ring") in 1790. Measuring just 115 x 61 mm, the work exemplifies Chodowiecki's specialty in small-scale illustrations that brought historical and literary scenes to life for a wide audience. Known for his precise line work and narrative clarity, he often contributed to books, calendars, periodicals, blending Rococo elegance with emerging Neoclassical restraint. The etching depicts a pivotal moment from Marie-Joseph Chénier's tragedy *Charles IX* (premiered in 1789), evoking the infamous St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572, when bells signaled the slaughter of Huguenots in Paris. Commissioned specifically for Chénier's play, this print captures the tension of the king's dawning realization amid political intrigue. A later state appeared in the *Goettinger Taschen-Calender für 1791*, published by Johann Christoph Dietrich in Göttingen, highlighting its role in popularizing dramatic history through affordable pocket almanacs. Etching's fine lines allowed Chodowiecki to convey subtle expressions and atmosphere in miniature format, making complex events accessible. Produced on the eve of the French Revolution, the work reflects Enlightenment fascination with moral history and tyranny, bridging theater, literature, and visual art for educated readers across Europe.

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...