Cléry's kinderen in de tuin 1799

"Cléry's kinderen in de tuin" (Cléry's Children in the Garden) is an etching created by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki in 1799. This intimate scene, now part of the Rijksmuseum collection, depicts a woman seated on a bench in a garden setting, engaged with two young children. The work showcases Chodowiecki's mastery of line and detail, characteristic of his prolific career as an illustrator and printmaker. The delicate rendering of the figures and landscape, along with the use of light and shadow, creates a sense of tranquility and tenderness. The scene likely depicts the children of Cléry, the royal valet of Louis XVI, as they played in the garden during their time in exile.