Frontspiece to Hippel'e Ehe 1791

Editor: This is Daniel Chodowiecki's "Frontspiece to Hippel'e Ehe." It appears to be an etching. The family scene is so detailed, especially the fabric and the texture of the wood. What strikes you about Chodowiecki’s process in creating this image? Curator: The engraving process itself is paramount. Consider the labor: the physical act of scoring the plate, the consumption of tools, the societal demand for such imagery. It speaks volumes about 18th-century print culture, doesn't it? Editor: Yes, it does! I didn’t think of it that way before. Curator: By examining the materials and production, we uncover a network of social and economic relationships embedded within this seemingly simple family portrait. Editor: Thank you for sharing this view; I will remember to think about the means of production!