Night watchmen | Gardien de nuit. Signatures under the engraving(from left, to right): Norblin del.; Depose a la direction ; Debucourt sculp. Original aquatint colored in the period, 16.4 x 11.2 cm, sheet framed in a simple metal frame, 31.5 x 22.2 cm.
Condition: trimmed margins(to the frame), paper yellowed and soiled, with minor discoloration, small paper loss in the left margin.
Illustration for the portfolio "Collection of various Polish costumes . Costumes polonais.", which was published in notebooks since 1818. Eventually 50 graphics were produced. J.P. Norblin, in 1804-1817, worked on drawings for it based on his own sketches brought from Poland, while the graphics were made by French engraver Philibert-Louis Debucourt (1755-1832).
Jan Piotr Norblin (Jean-Pierre Norblin de la Gourdaine, 1745-1830) - French painter, draughtsman and printmaker, resided in Poland from 1774 to 1804, employed by the Czartoryskis. Leading painter of the Stanislaus era in Poland, considered the father of Polish genre painting. A collector of prints, an admirer of Rembrandt, on whom he modeled when creating his own etchings. Drawing teacher of the children of Prince Adam Czartoryski. He inspired the younger generation of Polish artists - such as Michał Płoński, Aleksander Orłowski and Jan Rustem. Upon his return to France, he took his sketches with him, on the basis of which prints were made (e.g. folk costumes, engraved by Debucourt). At least 94 prints by him are known.
