Twee scènes uit Gellert's Fabelen

About this artwork

verzamelaarsmerk, verso, gestempeld: Lugt 2228

Art Historical Context

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowie, a prolific Polish-German engraver and illustrator active in the 18th, created *Twee scènes uit Gell's Fabelen* in 1776. This etching captures two scenes from the moral fables of Christian Fürgott Gellert, a beloved German poet whose works emphasized virtue, humility, and human folly during the Enlightenment era. Chodcki, director of the Berlin Academy of, was renowned for his intricate book illustrations that brought literary narratives to life with vivid, relatable detail. Measuring just 110mm high by 127mm wide, this small-scale etching exemplifies the technical precision of the medium, where acid bites into a metal plate to produce fine lines and textures ideal for reproducing nuanced expressions and moral tableaux. Chodowiecki's Rococo-influenced style blends elegance with everyday realism, making Gellert's didactic tales accessible to a wide audience through affordable prints. Bearing a collector's mark (Lugt 2228) on the verso, this work highlights its provenance and enduring appeal among connoisseurs. It reflects the cultural vogue for fable illustrations, bridging literature and visual art to instruct and entertain 18th-century viewers on timeless ethical lessons.

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...