Artwork
The Card Game (Der kleine l'Hombre Tisch)
The Card Game (Der kleine l'Hombre Tisch) 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
Created in 1758, *The Card Game* is an early print by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki. Executed on laid paper, the image combines etching with a sulfur tint and engraved lines. The composition presents a modest interior where three figures are engaged in a card game, illuminated by a single candle that highlights their faces and the playing surface.
Subject & Meaning
The scene captures a quiet domestic pastime: two participants lean over a table, handling cards and a fan, while a third figure holds the candle that supplies the sole light source. The chiaroscuro effect emphasizes intimacy and concentration, suggesting a moment of private leisure within a modest household.
Technique & Style
Chodowiecki employed a layered approach, beginning with etched lines and then adding engraved details to sharpen edges. A sulfur tint provides a subtle warm hue, enhancing the candlelight’s glow. The drawing is marked by loose, sketch‑like strokes that convey movement, while the fine rendering of textures reflects the artist’s early graphic precision.
History & Provenance
Produced during Chodowiecki’s formative years in Berlin, the print predates his later appointment as director of the Berlin Academy of Art. Though primarily known for his later etchings, this work illustrates the development of his style and his Huguenot‑Polish heritage, which informed his interest in genre scenes of everyday life.
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.
