JAN III SOBIESKI (King of Poland from 1674 to 1696). Bust in an oval; drawing by D. Chodowiecki; from: Almanach historique et généalogique pour l'année bissextile 1796 - Histoire de Pologne avec 2 cartes, 7 portraits et 6 estampes historiques par D. Chodowiecki, published by J.F. Unger, Berlin 1795; dot-engraved, b&w, very fine condition; sheet size 59x105 mm; König Johann III. (Sobieski) […].
Daniel Chodowiecki (1726–1801) was one of the most outstanding European printmakers of the 18th century, a draftsman, book illustrator, and miniature painter. He was born in Gdańsk to a family with Polish and Huguenot roots. For most of his life, however, he worked in Berlin, where he gained a tremendous reputation as an artist and illustrator of the Enlightenment era. He is best known for his masterful etchings and copperplate engravings, book illustrations, genre scenes depicting the life of the 18th-century bourgeoisie, portraits, and genre series. He created several thousand prints. He illustrated the works of many Enlightenment writers, such as G.E. Lessing, J.J. Rousseau, and J.W. Goethe. In 1797, he became director of the Prussian Academy of Arts. He often emphasized his ties to Poland. Today, he is recognized as an outstanding documentarian of everyday life during the Enlightenment.
