Sebaldus Nothanker afgezet 1775

Curator: This is "Sebaldus Nothanker afgezet" by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, created in 1775. The piece, housed here at the Rijksmuseum, employs the engraving technique, resulting in a detailed print. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Austere. And a touch sad. It’s got that kind of old story vibe – a black-and-white miniature stage for some drama, I suppose, where everybody looks deeply offended or terribly serious. Curator: Indeed. Chodowiecki was quite meticulous. It’s interesting to observe how engraving lends itself to social commentary, allowing for wider circulation of ideas during the Enlightenment. The depicted scene shows a clergyman being deposed from his office. Look at the line work defining the space – how would you assess the process involved in achieving such details? Editor: Thinking about process makes me consider the sheer labor! The concentration involved in creating those tiny, precise lines to achieve tonal variations and details... It's mind-boggling. Did he see it as artistic craft or commercial job, perhaps a mix? How did its affordability affect distribution? Curator: Precisely, such details are worth asking. Chodowiecki likely created this piece for broader distribution, reflecting on social hierarchies and religious power, using relatively accessible medium. Printmaking allowed for more affordable art, widening its reach across different social strata. And the depicted narrative surely sparked interesting discourse at the time. Editor: Thinking about that audience – I find myself wondering how people would interpret the disgraced figure back then versus now? Perhaps some would feel sympathy? I almost do. He could be us, getting ‘cancelled’ centuries early! And look how framed artworks decorate the room, those images are barely legible – but the power structures playing out here in the foreground dominate the eye, which makes me question those power dynamics as much now as they must have been questioned then. Curator: Yes, seeing it within its historical context offers significant insight, as he engages in genre-painting style too. Ultimately, Chodowiecki’s artistic production challenges conventional distinctions. Examining "Sebaldus Nothanker afgezet," in the framework of Enlightenment society, helps us better understand that culture. Editor: Well, seeing art from a materialist and cultural perspective is, I think, enlightening! Thanks to his hand, a moment from the past suddenly gains a new charge.