Das Bibliothekzeichen des Kunstlers

Daniel Nicolaus Chodowiecki

Das Bibliothekzeichen des Kunstlers

Etching

Berlin, 1781

86 x 61 mm

E 192

£320

Daniel Nicolaus Chodowiecki

Danzig (Gdansk) 1726 – Berlin 1801

The young Daniel moved from Danzig to Berlin at the age of 16. He received artistic training from the painter Haid of Augsburg, and was admitted to the Berlin Academy in 1764. He found his true calling in print making and produced over 2000 etchings during his lifetime. He is credited with the invention of the Remarque, a small sketch on a plate laying outside the main image. His etchings were mainly on a small scale, and often used for book illustration. His finely detailed plates often illustrating life of the bourgeoisie during the period known as the Zopfstil towards the end of the 18^th. Century.

Chodowiecki, though speaking only French and German,  often also declared his Polish allegiance and had his son Isaac Heinrich, born in Berlin, painted as a very young child with a Polish outfit and haircut. After the Partitions of Poland Chodowiecki wrote to Gräfin Solms-Laubach: “From my father’s side I am Polish, a descendant of a brave nation which will soon vanish”.In a letter to pl:Józef Łęski, a Polish astronomer, he wrote: “I consider it an honour to be a genuine Pole, even though I am now living in Germany

One of his most popular books is the “Journey from Berlin to Danzig” (German: “Die Reise von Berlin nach Danzig”, 1773) with many illustrations. He purchased a horse rather than going by stage coach. This was his first return after 30 years absence and he went specifically to see his elderly mother and sisters in Danzig again. He made only one more trip to Danzig afterwards, to his mother’s funeral. He describes and illustrates towns and people in Pomerania and Prussia on the way.