Drie voorstellingen uit Blumauers Aeneide 1789

These three scenes from Blumauer’s ‘Aeneid’ were etched by Daniel Chodowiecki in the late eighteenth century. The prints make use of a classical text to comment on the social structures of their own time. Chodowiecki’s illustrations focus on key moments of emotion and decision for the characters involved. These domestic dramas reflect the growing importance of the individual experience in European culture. In eighteenth century Europe, the rise of Enlightenment ideals about reason and progress began to intersect with the intimate world of feeling. Writers and artists alike were exploring the importance of individual experience in relation to established social norms. The historian uses visual analysis and historical research to understand the changing role of the individual in Western culture. Texts, illustrations, and other artworks can be used to build a more complex picture of life in the past.