Portret van Johann Albrecht Philippi

About this artwork

Prent ook gebruikt in: Krünitz, Johann Georg. Oekonomische Encyklopädie. Berlijn: Joachim Pauli, 1774, dl. 3.

Art Historical Context

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, a prolific Polish-German artist of the Enlightenment era, captures the likeness of Johann Albrecht Philippi in this intimate 1773 etching. Measuring just 175mm by 107mm, the portrait exemplifies Chodowiecki's mastery of miniature-scale printmaking, blending Rococo elegance with emerging Neoclassical clarity. Known for over 2,000 engravings and etchings that illustrated books and moral tales across Europe, Chodowiecki brought historical and contemporary figures to life with expressive lines and subtle shading. This print holds particular historical significance as it was repurposed in Johann Georg Krünitz's *Oekonomische Encyklopädie* (1774, volume 3), a monumental Berlin-published encyclopedia on economics and practical sciences. Philippi, likely a notable figure in economic discourse, is thus immortalized amid Enlightenment efforts to catalog knowledge for public enlightenment. Etching's fluid technique—using acid to bite into metal plates—allowed Chodowiecki to achieve fine details in hair, clothing folds, and facial character, making the work ideal for book reproduction and widespread dissemination. Visitors, admire how this modest portrait bridges art and intellect, reflecting 18th-century Berlin's vibrant print culture where images fueled education and progress.

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...