Vluchtende mannen dragen een vrouw en kind op een brancard 1796

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki made this engraving, "Fleeing Men Carrying a Woman and Child on a Stretcher," using a metal plate and paper. The fineness of the etched lines, made with a sharp tool biting into the metal, capture a scene of social upheaval. Here, the labor of carrying the vulnerable is laid bare, etched into the very material of the print. The composition is economical, yet it conveys the weight—both literal and figurative—of the men's task. We see the effects of labor and class, highlighting the physical exertion required in a time of crisis. The image, multiplied through printmaking, speaks to the widespread precarity and resilience of everyday people. Ultimately, it serves as a reminder of the stories etched into the fabric of society, challenging any division between the so-called “high” and “low” arts.