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Christian Wilhelm Ernst Dietrich

The Scissors-Grinder

1741
Etching printed in black on laid paper
14.1 × 12.1 cm (5.6 × 4.8 in)

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In the collection of Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · as of July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

This particular print is very much in the style of the popular Dutch artist Adriaen van Ostade (1610-1685), who consistently used the technique of chiaroscuro to portray peasant life in his paintings, drawings, and etchings. In this etching, Dietrich employs similar contrasts of light and dark to light up the diminutive figures of the peasants at work.

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