Artwork
Self-Portrait with his Wife
Self-Portrait with his Wife is a watercolor painting by the Rococo painting artist Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki. It dates from 1759 and is held in the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin. Created in 1759, this intimate portrait presents the artist alongside his spouse within a modest interior.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1759, this intimate portrait presents the artist alongside his spouse within a modest interior. Rendered on ivory, the composition captures a domestic scene framed by a window, where the husband, dressed in a maroon coat, holds a small dog and a tray bearing a teapot, while the wife, in green and white attire, gazes into a hand‑held mirror that reflects a child's face.
Subject & Meaning
The work juxtaposes the couple’s presence with the reflected image of a child, suggesting familial bonds or the anticipation of offspring. The inclusion of everyday objects—a pet, a teapot, a mirror—underscores the domestic sphere, while the mirror’s glimpse of a child, absent from the room, adds a narrative layer about lineage or memory within the Rococo’s sentimental framework.
Technique & Style
Executed on ivory, the painting exhibits the delicate brushwork characteristic of Rococo sensibilities, emphasizing soft textures and subtle color contrasts. Fine attention is given to minute details such as the dog’s fur and the teapot’s ornate handle, creating a tactile realism that balances the decorative elegance of the figures’ clothing with the modest, unadorned surroundings.
History & Provenance
The portrait was produced by Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, a German artist of Huguenot‑Polish descent who spent most of his career in Berlin. Later appointed director of the Berlin Academy of Art, Chodowiecki’s work entered the collection of the Gemäldegalerie Berlin, where it remains part of the museum’s holdings, reflecting his lasting association with the city’s artistic institutions.
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.
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