Zes voorstellingen uit Lesage's Gil Blas de Santillane 1783

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki made this print, Zes voorstellingen uit Lesage's Gil Blas de Santillane, using etching around 1779. Chodowiecki was a German artist, active during the Enlightenment, an intellectual movement that prioritized reason, science, and individualism. He worked during a period of increasing literacy, and his prints were often made as book illustrations, such as this one which presents six scenes from Alain-René Lesage’s popular picaresque novel, Gil Blas. What makes Chodowiecki an interesting artist from a social perspective is that he often depicted scenes of everyday life, reflecting the values and concerns of the emerging middle class in Germany. He frequently critiqued social and political issues of his time. His art provides insight into the cultural values, social tensions, and intellectual debates of the late 18th century. To understand the cultural context in which Chodowiecki operated, we can turn to period books, journals, and pamphlets, as well as archival sources that document the artistic institutions and social networks of his time.