Jean Jacques de BoissieuFrench, 1736–1810The Public Scribe
Can I see it?
Not on view at present
Where is “The Public Scribe” now? Collection: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Not on view at present. Checked September 29, 2026.
Chicago, United States
It belongs to the collection, but is not on display at present.
- Checked
- In this state since
- Source
- The museum
About the work
This large plate is characteristic of de Boissieu' s last period of printmaking, which was dominated by his interest in landscapes and scenes of daily life. The influence of seventeenth-century Dutch genre scenes is clear in this work, which depicts the predicament of a writer who must transcribe the message of a young couple although more interesting activities distract his attention. Boissieu used the roulette, a tool with a spiked wheel, to indent the plate and simulate the effects of an inked wash.
Art Institute of ChicagoCC BY 4.0
Details
- Accession number
- 1920.2015
In the catalog
Sources
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image: Art Institute of Chicago — CC0
