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The Improvement of Morals

A work made of etching and engraving on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of etching and engraving on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1786

Artist:

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki
German, 1726-1801

About this artwork

This plate satirizes the efforts of Merlino, an inferior Berlin engraver who drew attention to bizarre current events through his weekly publications. At the center, a scaffold holds thirteen images. To the right, a street musician performs before a crowd, while on the left a hot-air baloon goes up in flames. In the background are caricatures and depictions of crimes.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Daniel Nikolaus Chodowiecki

Title

The Improvement of Morals

Place

Germany (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1786

Medium

Etching and engraving on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

Plate: 21.2 × 33.5 cm (8 3/8 × 13 1/4 in.); Sheet: 22 × 34.5 cm (8 11/16 × 13 5/8 in.)

Credit Line

Anonymous gift

Reference Number

1920.2677

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

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https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/80339/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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