Artwork
Growing Family
Growing Family is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki. It dates from 1793 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1793, *Growing Family* is an etching by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, a leading figure in Berlin’s artistic community who held the directorship of the Berlin Academy of Art. The monochrome print presents a domestic group set within a wooded landscape, rendered with the delicate line work characteristic of the medium.
Subject & Meaning
The composition depicts six figures—a man, a woman, three children, and an additional woman—arranged near a tree, with a modest dwelling and a church spire visible beyond the foliage. The title suggests an exploration of familial expansion and the passage of life stages, inviting viewers to contemplate the bonds and continuity within a household.
Technique & Style
Chodowiecki employed traditional copperplate etching, incising fine lines that capture subtle gradations of light and shadow. The process allows for intricate detailing of textures, from the bark of the tree to the clothing folds, while maintaining a clear, linear quality that defines the figures against the surrounding scenery.
History & Provenance
Born in 1726 to a Huguenot‑Polish family, Chodowiecki spent most of his career in Berlin, where he earned a reputation as a skilled printmaker and painter. *Growing Family* was produced during his tenure as director of the Berlin Academy, a period when his etchings were widely circulated and praised by contemporary audiences.
Artist & collection
Artist
Daniel Niklaus Chodowiecki (16 October 1726 – 7 February 1801) was a German painter and printmaker of Huguenot and Polish ancestry, who is most famous as an etcher.
