The Chronicler 1774 - 1789

Jean-Pierre Norblin de la Gourdaine created this print called ‘The Chronicler’ using etching. Look closely, and you will see a figure hunched over a table, writing. The scene’s interior setting and the presence of a window suggest a quiet, contemplative space, set apart from the world. Norblin de la Gourdaine worked in late 18th- and early 19th-century France and Poland, a period defined by Enlightenment ideals and revolutionary fervor. In France, the aristocracy's grip on culture had begun to loosen. New institutions like public museums fostered critical engagement with the arts. The image suggests an emerging emphasis on individual experience. The act of chronicling, of recording events and observations, gained importance. In times of political upheaval the role of the ‘chronicler’ was to create narratives that could influence or challenge established norms. To fully understand a work like this, one must delve into the history of printmaking, explore the intellectual debates of the time, and consider the artist's biography. It’s a journey into a world of changing social values.