Vrouw met twee kinderen 1764

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki made this print, "Woman with two children," sometime in the late 18th century. It offers us a glimpse into the visual culture of the Enlightenment. The image depicts a mother, modestly dressed, carrying one child while another reaches up to her. Chodowiecki was a master of the small-scale, and his prints were widely circulated and collected. They reflect the period's growing interest in domestic life, family values, and the everyday experiences of ordinary people. As a printmaker in Prussia, his art would have been influenced by the social structures of the time. The Kingdom of Prussia was undergoing significant social and political changes and Chodowiecki's work often reflected these shifts. His images helped to shape the era’s ideals of motherhood and childhood. To fully understand this print, we might consult period literature, conduct a study of the history of childhood, and analyze the market for prints. This artwork's meaning is always contingent on its historical context.