Luise en Ferdinand plegen zelfmoord

About this artwork

Vervaardigd voor Friedrich von Schiller 'Kabale und Liebe'. Latere staat gebruikt voor: Königl. Grossbrit. Genealogischer Kalender auf das Jahr 1786. Lauenburg: J. G. Berenberg, 1785.

Art Historical Context

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki, a leading Prussian engraver and illustrator of the late 18th century, created this poignant etching *Luise en Ferdinand plegen zelfmoord* in 1785. The title, translating to "Luise and Ferdinand Commit Suicide," captures the tragic climax of Friedrich Schiller's groundbreaking play *Kabale und Liebe* (Intrigue and Love), premiered in 1784. This domestic tragedy critiques class divisions and political intrigue in Enlightenment-era Germany, with the lovers' desperate act symbolizing rebellion against societal constraints. Chodowiecki's work vividly illustrates key lit...

About the Artist

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki · 1726–1801

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki (1726–1801) was a German painter and printmaker of Polish-Huguenot descent who became the most celebrated graphic artist in 18th-century Germany. Born in Danzig (now Gdańsk), he created approximately 2,000 etchings that serve as an invaluable visual record of German bourgeois life during the Enlightenment. Largely self-taught, Chodowiecki moved to Berlin in 1743 and ach...