The History of the United States 1783 - 1784

Editor: This is Daniel Chodowiecki's engraving, "The History of the United States," created around 1783 or 1784. The intricate lines depict what looks like the landing of French troops in America, but something about the detail given to the ships versus the sketchier figures is confusing to me. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Focusing on the printmaking process reveals so much. Notice the stark contrast, the almost clinical line work used to represent this historical moment. The deliberate nature of engraving—the labor-intensive process—serves a purpose. Is this really about celebrating a victory? Or about displaying a specific form of print dissemination in the service of constructing and codifying ‘history’? Editor: So, it's less about the historical event and more about the production of the image itself and its dissemination? Curator: Exactly. The materiality matters. Who was commissioning this work, and for what purpose? Consider also how the scale of printmaking allows it to be reproduced widely, becoming a commodity. Its consumption by the public creates shared consciousness around events like these. Doesn't it make you wonder about the artist's intent when framing "history" this way? Is the material and how it's received by audiences more of the story? Editor: That’s a completely different way to look at history. Curator: It raises fascinating questions about the economics and social context of art production and distribution in the late 18th century. We should think of printmaking as a precursor to mass media, embedding ideologies through easily reproducible means. Editor: This discussion changed the way I see engravings; focusing on the materials opens up new avenues of understanding how art communicates information. Curator: Absolutely. By thinking about the material means and social context, we recognize engravings like Chodowiecki’s are powerful pieces of material culture.