Dwaasheid van het bijgeloof 1782

This engraving, "Dwaasheid van het bijgeloof," or "The Folly of Superstition," was made by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki. The print reveals a scene of fortune telling, rendered with precise lines incised into a metal plate. The artist's skill is evident in the intricate detailing of the figures' clothing and the interior setting. Chodowiecki would have used specialized tools to create the fine lines that define the image, building up tone and texture through careful cross-hatching. The process demands a high level of craft, with each line contributing to the overall composition and narrative. Prints like this were part of a burgeoning market for accessible art, catering to a growing middle class eager for images that reflected their own social concerns. The subject matter itself speaks to a society grappling with Enlightenment ideals. By using the medium of printmaking, Chodowiecki was engaging with a technology that democratized art, making it available to a wider audience and inviting them to reflect on the follies of their time.