Dames en heren in modieuze kleding 1781

This is an etching by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, showing fashionable people out for a stroll. The graphic arts are particularly interesting to consider from the perspective of craft. Etching is an indirect process, where a metal plate is coated with a waxy ground, into which the design is scratched. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed metal. This painstaking process is repeated to achieve the desired depth of line. The finished plate can then be inked and printed multiple times. In this sense, etching is very much aligned with industrial production – a means of generating identical images ad infinitum. Chodowiecki’s choice of this medium suggests an interest in accessibility, bringing scenes of contemporary life to a wider audience. What’s more, the very act of strolling as depicted here, is tied to new patterns of consumption and leisure. So, as you look at this image, consider not just what it depicts, but how its means of production ties it to broader social and economic shifts.