Portret van Augusta Sophia en Apollo in de zonnewagen 1777

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki created this print, "Portret van Augusta Sophia en Apollo in de zonnewagen," around 1778 using etching techniques. The composition is sharply divided, with the upper half dominated by a dynamic scene of Apollo in his sun chariot. The horses seem to leap off the page, their energy contrasted by the more static, text-heavy lower section. Note how the artist uses line to create a sense of depth and movement, particularly in the rendering of the clouds and the horses' manes. This dynamism destabilizes the traditional portrait format, infusing it with allegorical meaning. The print functions as a calendar cover, where text and image work together. The mythological scene above elevates the calendar to something more profound, connecting daily timekeeping with grand, classical narratives. This tension between the mundane and the sublime is typical of Chodowiecki's work. It invites us to see how art can transform everyday objects into sites of complex meaning.