File:Daniel Chodowiecki - The Work-Room of a Painter.jpg

Identifier: artartistsofourt04cook (find matches)
Title: Art and artists of our time
Year: 1888 (1880s)
Authors: Cook, Clarence, 1828-1900
Subjects: Painting Painters
Publisher: New York, S. Hess
Contributing Library: Brandeis University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Boston Library Consortium Member Libraries

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rslightly, yet with the same truthfulness with which he depicts the groups themselves, we canfind no evidence that he cared at all for what most interests us of this generation when wevisit the ancient sea-port on the Vistula. For want, then of better models in his art, Chodo-wiecki fell back upon the engravers, and under his aunts direction began to copy the etch-ings of Callot, and such prints as he could obtain after the works of the Dutch and Flemishartists. Later, he obtained engravings after Watteau and Lancret, and with these he nowbegan the practice of making small-size reductions of his originals, doubtless aided in this, asin all his efforts, by the aunt, whose work as a miniaturist and enamel-painter, lay in thedirection of minute and finely finished execution. All his drawings up to this time had beenmade vnth the pen and washed with India-ink, but he now began to paint upon parchment,and he soon made such progress that an uncle, a shop-keeper, who lived at Berlin, and who
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ART AND ARTISTS OF OUR TIME. 249 used to buy for his customers the auuts enamels as they were sent him, now encouraged thenephew by buying some of his drawings that from time to time were sent to him along withthese. Life was thus made a little easier for the lad, as the small sums of money he receivedrefreshed his slim pockets and gave him the means of procuring the materials for his drawingand painting, without calling on his parents, who were ill able to gratify him. In 1740, when Chodowiecki was only fourteen, his father died, and his mother, who hadnever encouraged him in his efforts to make himself an artist, apprenticed him to a relative, awidow who kept a small grocery shop in Dantzig. Here began a dreary episode in the life ofthe boy, who was now obliged to serve behind the counter from six in the morning until tenat night, and in the evening, after supper, to go to church with his mistress for vespers, andto join her in singing the hymns. Yet so strong was his bent toward ar

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