Prinses Feliza en de jonge Zarewitsch Chlor nemen afscheid 1782

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki made this etching, Prinses Feliza en de jonge Zarewitsch Chlor nemen afscheid, sometime in the late 18th century. It illustrates a scene of parting between a young boy and a woman who seems to be handing him a flower. Chodowiecki was a Huguenot of Polish descent living in Berlin, and he worked in the tradition of the Enlightenment. The image relates to the concept of sensibility, and the emotional and moral instruction of children. The naturalistic setting reflects the increasing importance of nature in Enlightenment thought. The print reflects the period’s investment in the education of future generations. The artist may be commenting on the restrictive social structures of the time by presenting an image of a more egalitarian world. The institutions of art, such as academies and museums, were being established during this period, and this print exemplifies the kind of moralizing subject matter that was popular at the time. Further research into the artist's biography, the cultural context of 18th-century Berlin, and the history of educational theory would shed more light on this fascinating work.