Wilhelmine stort op haar knieën naast het lege graf met Webson en Charlotte aan haar zijde 1781

Curator: Let’s consider this engraving, “Wilhelmine Stort op haar knieën naast het lege graf met Webson en Charlotte aan haar zijde,” made by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki around 1781. It’s quite a dramatic scene rendered on paper, isn’t it? Editor: It certainly is. The figures feel very fragile against the dark, looming tree and stark backdrop of the architecture behind. There's a real sense of loss communicated. Curator: Exactly. The texture is built up carefully. Chodowiecki, working in late Baroque style, masterfully uses the print medium. Considering that it is an engraving, what tools do you think he might be utilizing in the production and labour process? Editor: I'm noticing the strategic play between light and shadow. The use of line directs our eye, particularly in rendering drapery, it's very effective at capturing the emotion of the scene. It would be a shame not to mention how each engraving suggests meticulous work. Curator: Indeed, let’s talk about the historical framework. Chodowiecki gained notability portraying ordinary German middle class life. Genre painting! The rising merchant class were finally getting their depictions out there into wider society. It’s great. Editor: Interesting. Moving away from his subjects though, the linear precision against the wash effect used for foliage certainly holds a tension. Do you think that he created this on a single plate, and used acids in the engraving for some effects? Curator: It’s quite probable! The printmaking processes in Chodowiecki’s time did necessitate technical skill, alongside the ability to generate compelling compositions for dissemination. Consider, each print would have had multiple impressions, giving multiple parties the possibility to own the works displayed here today. Editor: Thank you, it is incredible to examine. Curator: Of course. I think thinking about these things can offer us new insights when it comes to looking at this dramatic Baroque composition.