Zingend gezelschap 1786

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki created this etching, now held in the Rijksmuseum, depicting a singing gathering. Notice how the raised glass, a symbol of celebration, echoes across centuries. We see this gesture in ancient Roman banquets, immortalized in frescoes, where wine symbolized not just merriment but also pacts and rituals. This motif resurfaces during the Renaissance in paintings of the Last Supper, and then again in Dutch Golden Age genre scenes, now a symbol of bourgeois festivity. Consider the psychological weight of such a simple act. The raised glass bridges the gap between the sacred and the secular, a collective memory of shared joy and communion. Chodowiecki's work shows us the evolution of a symbol, its transformation, and how it taps into a deep, subconscious human need to celebrate and connect. The singing company embodies this impulse, inviting us to partake in a timeless ritual of human connection.