Twee voorstellingen uit Salzmann's Carl von Carlsberg 1782

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki created this print, “Two scenes from Salzmann's Carl von Carlsberg”, depicting scenes of distress and familial harmony. On the left, a public whipping takes place, contrasting sharply with the scene on the right, where a family gathers serenely around a table. The act of whipping, with its roots stretching back through centuries of public penance and corporal punishment, is a stark emblem of social control. Think of the flagellants of the Middle Ages, or even ancient Roman practices; this motif recurs, yet its meaning shifts from religious atonement to secular retribution. The family scene, with its careful arrangement of figures, evokes a sense of idealized domesticity. These contrasting scenes tap into our collective memories of public shame versus private solace. It's a psychological tug-of-war, where our subconscious grapples with the balance between societal order and personal well-being. Ultimately, Chodowiecki invites us to reflect on how symbols of punishment and affection persist through time, continuously reshaped by the ever-changing fabric of human experience.