Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki hated it when people called him the Berlin Hogarth.

He didn’t hate the original Hogarth, he just resented the implications. Sure, Chodowiecki lived in Berlin and made humorous etchings of daily life (much like Hogarth), but that doesn’t mean he was trying to be like Hogarth. Give the guy a break, he was 18th century Germany’s most illustrious graphic artist. He deserves some credit. 

Chodowiecki was born in Danzig in 1726. His dad was a corn merchant, and his mother was a refugee, a Huegenot. The Huguenots were subjected to severe oppression by the Catholic government of France in the 16th and 17th-century. A few of them fled to Danzig where they set up their own Church. His parents joined the reformed church after their marriage and raised him according to this faith. Chodowiecki would go for both masses on Sunday and take notes of the sermon. He’d go home and set up debates with his family, based on what he had heard. What a serious kid! Go out and play a little.

Mr. Chodowiecki died when he was around 16 or 17 years old. He had taught Daniel the art of miniature painting and had always supported his art. Losing such an awesome father must have been hard for him. He left for Berlin right after to help his uncle with his shop there, but he had other plans. Though largely a self-taught artist, he did receive help from Johann Jacob Haid, a copper engraver, who taught him enamel painting in 1748.

Chodowiecki tried his hand at painting, but soon realized that he was way better at etching. He became celebrated for his dexterity with both engravings and etchings. Through the years that he was active, Chodowiecki made about 2000 etched copper plates. Everybody wanted a piece of the Chodo. He illustrated pocket calendars, educational books by Johann Bernhard Basedow, physiology books by Lavater, plays of Shakespeare, historical accounts, and a lot more. He was the biggest fish in Germany’s pond. Back then, that was enough. It made him Director of the Berlin Academy of Art in 1797.

Chodowiecki spent most of his life in Berlin. He would often try to untangle his identity to know if he was French, Polish, or German. He cohabitated with French people, he worked and lived in a German town, but he never got to understand his Polish ancestry. In 1773, he decided to explore it. He had not seen his mother and sisters for 30 years. It had been a long time since he had been back in his hometown. He got himself a horse instead of a stage coach to make the journey home. Chodowiecki published Journey from Berlin to Danzig the same year. It was full of illustrations about his travels and his homeland.

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki died in 1801 and is buried at Französischer Friedhof cemetery in Berlin.

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