Volumnia en Menenius in gesprek 1786

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki created this print, "Volumnia en Menenius in gesprek", sometime in the late 18th century. The artist references the story of the Roman general Coriolanus, known for his military prowess but also his inflexibility. Chodowiecki, working in Germany, taps into the classical past that was so admired by Europeans at the time, yet his print raises questions about virtue, power, and the nature of political persuasion. We see Volumnia, Coriolanus's mother, attempting to persuade him to compromise for the good of Rome. The setting is domestic, but the implications are profoundly political. Prints like this one circulated widely, and were often used to illustrate books. Examining them helps us understand the public role of art and the politics of imagery in the 1700s. By exploring these visual codes and historical associations, we, as historians, can better understand the meaning of art as something that is contingent on social and institutional context.