Goed moederschap 1795

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki created this small etching, “Goed moederschap,” which translates to "Good Motherhood," sometime in the late 18th century. Chodowiecki lived through the Enlightenment, and was deeply invested in the moral and social issues of his time, particularly those concerning the family. Here, he presents us with an image of bourgeois domesticity: a mother lovingly cradles her child as she walks in a garden with the child’s father. Consider how gender roles are carefully delineated in this image. The mother is soft and nurturing, while the father stands behind them, a symbol of protection and authority. The etching seems to affirm the era’s emphasis on the importance of women’s roles as caregivers. Yet there is an emotional resonance here too; an evocation of the tenderness and responsibility inherent in raising a child. Ultimately, “Good Motherhood” is a window into the past, reflecting how societal expectations around gender and family were both idealized and internalized during this period.