Vierentwintig koppen 1774

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki created this collection of 24 heads, likely sometime in the late 18th century. As an artist who lived through the Enlightenment, Chodowiecki straddled the line between the old world and the new, which may have influenced his decision to create this piece. Here, the artist presents an array of faces capturing the diversity of human expression, rendered with precision. The gaze shifts from one head to another, each subtly distinct, revealing the nuances of character and social identity. The artist may have been trying to capture the human condition; however, the collection also reflects the era’s interest in physiognomy, the pseudoscientific assessment of a person's character based on their outer appearance. What do these heads tell us about the period and the people represented? What biases may have informed Chodowiecki's drawings? The emotional depth of each portrait invites us to consider our own assumptions and the complex interplay between identity, perception, and representation.