John Peter Norblin de la Gourdaine (1745 Misy-Faut-Yonne - 1830 Paris), The Sick Woodcutter

State of preservation
framed in passe-partout

Literature
Hillemacher 20
Smolik 77
Franke 23

Biography
Jan Piotr Norblin of French descent, painter, draughtsman and printmaker, whose activity in Poland dates from 1774 to 1804. From the moment he arrived in Warsaw, he was associated with the patronage of the Czartoryski family. Brought to the country by Prince Adam Kazimierz Czartoryski, initially as a drawing teacher for his children, over time he became the family's court painter, carrying out various commissions for them (wall decorations, easel paintings). He was associated with the Blue Palace in Warsaw, and later the estate in Puławy. His work is dominated by mythological scenes and fetes galantes, inspired by the paintings of Watteau and Fragonard. Norblin was also an engraver. There are 94 known plates, mostly etchings, the influence of Rembrandt shines through strongly. Historical scenes predominate (Appointment of Przemyslaw as King, Offering of the Crown to Piast), portraits, Polish types, studies of heads and busts, rural landscapes and compositions (Invention of Drawing). The artist developed a group of disciples in Poland, as he did, primarily prominent authors of genre scenes, the most important of whom are Aleksander Orłowski, Michał Płoński and Jan Rustem.