Uittocht van het Pruisische leger 1790

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki made this print, Uittocht van het Pruisische leger, with etching. In this scene, Chodowiecki depicts the Prussian army in retreat; the army's commander is the focal point, confidently mounted as his troops withdraw. Chodowiecki was working in the late eighteenth century, a time of significant military conflict in Europe and the rise of Prussia as a military power. The artist was living in Berlin at that time, and was likely aware of the events and politics of the day. This image may offer a subtle critique of Prussian militarism, questioning the glory of warfare. Artists like Chodowiecki operated within a complex web of social and political constraints; their work offers valuable insights into the cultural values of the era. Historians of art rely on a range of resources to better understand art and culture. Contemporary newspapers, letters, diaries, and other archival documents are invaluable in reconstructing the world in which art was made and circulated.