Shepherd Seated on the Ground 1774 - 1789

Jean-Pierre Norblin de la Gourdaine created this etching of a Shepherd Seated on the Ground at an unknown date. What makes it so interesting is the way the figure is presented within a distinct triangular frame. Norblin de la Gourdaine was a French-Polish artist, and his work often reflects the social and political upheavals of his time. This image, though small, speaks to larger trends in European art, particularly the romanticization of rural life. In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, as industrialization began to transform societies, artists like Norblin often looked to the countryside for themes that idealized simpler ways of life and an authenticity lost in the city. This aesthetic was often an escape for the elite, who were among the only patrons of the arts, To truly understand this etching, we might delve into the social history of the period, looking at texts and images that celebrated pastoral life, while remaining aware of the enormous economic and social inequalities of the time.