Mei 1777

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki created this etching, sometime in the late 18th century, now held in the Rijksmuseum. Here, a well-fed gentleman in a powdered wig strikes a pose in a manicured garden. His corpulence and elaborate attire speak of prosperity and status, echoing the vanity ingrained in the collective consciousness of the time. Consider how such a figure, embodying worldly success, echoes motifs found throughout art history. Think of the Roman emperors depicted in classical sculpture, their full bodies symbolizing power and abundance. Yet, in Chodowiecki’s rendering, there is an element of satire, perhaps a commentary on the excesses of the aristocracy. This echoes through time, resurfacing in our modern critiques of consumer culture. The image evokes a deep-seated psychological tension: our simultaneous admiration and repulsion towards material wealth. A motif, thus, eternally caught in the dance between aspiration and self-awareness.