"Die vier Temperamente" 1784

"Die vier Temperamente" (The Four Temperaments), an etching by Georg Christian Schule from 1784, depicts a group of men looking at a painting on an easel. The painting itself is not fully visible, but the men's reactions and gestures suggest that it is a dramatic scene. The etching is a satire on the four temperaments, which were believed to be the four basic personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic. Schule's work provides insight into the humor and satirical nature of art in the late 18th century.