Artwork
Two Standing Ladies (Demoiselles Quantin)
Two Standing Ladies (Demoiselles Quantin) is an ink print by the Baroque 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, *Two Standing Ladies (Demoiselles Quantin)* is a black‑and‑white print by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki. Executed with both etching and drypoint on laid paper, the work presents a pair of women standing side by side, rendered in the crisp, linear style that defines much of Chodowiecki’s graphic output.
Subject & Meaning
The composition features two elegantly dressed women, each wearing long gowns with prominent collars, bows, and loose sleeves. Their attire suggests a modest yet refined fashion of mid‑18th‑century Europe, and the simple pose—standing together without interaction—offers a quiet study of contemporary female presence.
Technique & Style
Chodowiecki combined traditional etching, which produces fine, consistent lines, with drypoint, a method that leaves a characteristic burr and yields slightly fuzzy, variable strokes. The resulting image shows a mixture of crisp outlines and softer, scratchy marks, all set against the textured laid paper that adds a subtle grid pattern to the background.
History & Provenance
Born of Huguenot and Polish descent, Chodowiecki spent most of his career in Berlin, eventually directing the Berlin Academy of Art. While the print’s early ownership records are sparse, his signature—accompanied by a tiny bird motif—appears in the lower corner, confirming authorship.
Context
During the mid‑1700s, Chodowiecki was renowned for his prolific output of etchings and drypoints that documented everyday life, fashion, and social scenes. *Two Standing Ladies* fits within this broader body of work, reflecting the artist’s interest in portraiture and his skill in rendering textile details through line.
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.
Mulier Argentinensis
Young Woman, in Profile, Facing Right
Virgo Basiliensis
Virgo Argentinensis
Mulier Calabra, Vulgo, Foretana di Napoli
Mulier Generosa Italica
Mulier Belgica in Vestitu Domestico
Virgo Nuptialis Argentinensis
Ciuis vel Artificis Londinensis Vxor
Mulier Generosa Anglica
Standing Woman in a Great Coat
Two Standing Ladies (Demoiselles Quantin)