Julie ontmoet St. Preux na zijn wereldreis 1782

This is a copper engraving, made by Daniel Chodowiecki, a Berlin artist working in the late 18th century. Engraving is an intaglio process, meaning that the image is incised into a metal plate, which is then inked and printed. The fine lines you see here are the result of very careful work with a burin, a specialized cutting tool. Chodowiecki was a master of this technique, and his prints were widely circulated as illustrations in books and magazines. In his imagery, we often find a focus on contemporary life, and on the rituals of social exchange. Here, he depicts a scene of reunion, with the figures’ clothing and posture conveying a sense of refined gentility. The very intricacy of the engraving, with its meticulously rendered details of fabric and architecture, speaks to the laborious process of its making, and the values of craft and skill that were so important at the time. In looking closely at how this image was made, we can appreciate the artistry involved, and the social context in which it was created.