Twee voorstellingen uit het leven van Lodewijk XVI 1792

These prints, depicting scenes from the life of Louis XVI, were made by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki. Though undated, they capture the political turmoil of the late 18th century, and are made of etching. Etching is a printmaking process that involves using acid to cut lines into a metal plate. The plate is covered with a waxy substance, and the artist scratches away the coating to expose the metal. When dipped in acid, the exposed areas are eaten away, creating an image that can then be inked and printed. The medium itself speaks to the social context, enabling the wider circulation of political imagery and ideas at a time of great social upheaval. Each print, an easily reproducible object, becomes a small act of democratization, challenging the traditional association of art with the elite. The very act of reproduction, then, becomes a commentary on the changing social order.