Artwork
Poor Boy Showing His Navel
Poor Boy Showing His Navel is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki. It dates from 1758 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Poor Boy Showing His Navel is a 1758 etching on wove paper by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, depicting a barefoot, impoverished young boy exposing his stomach by lifting his shirt, set against a backdrop of a dimly lit, sparse interior.
Subject & Meaning
The subject, a poverty-stricken boy, is emphasized through his tattered clothing, exposed skin, and the humble surroundings of a half-open door leading to a simple room with a bed and lantern. The composition highlights the boy's destitution.
Technique & Style
Chodowiecki employed simple, expressive lines to convey the boy's worn attire and the rough texture of the walls, demonstrating his proficiency in etching—a medium that involves using acid and needles to create detailed designs on metal plates before printing.
History & Provenance
Created in 1758, the etching showcases Chodowiecki's etching prowess, a skill that contributed to his prominence. As a Huguenot-Polish artist based in Berlin, he later directed the Berlin Academy of Art.
Context
The work reflects Chodowiecki's ability to capture everyday life, particularly the plight of the poor, within the broader context of 18th-century Berlin, where social contrasts were pronounced.
Legacy
While the specific legacy of *Poor Boy Showing His Navel* is not broadly outlined in available information, it stands as a representative piece of Chodowiecki's etching skill and his observation of social conditions during his time.
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.
