Geschiedenis van Guliver / Histoire de Guliver 1800 - 1833

Philippus Jacobus Brepols created this print, Geschiedenis van Guliver / Histoire de Guliver, sometime in the late 18th to mid-19th century using etching and possibly other techniques. It depicts scenes from Jonathan Swift’s *Gulliver’s Travels.* Brepols lived in a time of significant social and political upheaval, including the Napoleonic Wars, and the rise of industrialization. Swift’s satirical novel critiqued the politics of his own time, but clearly its themes resonated decades later, across linguistic and geographic borders. Brepols created this artwork at a time when colonialism and exploration narratives were being both celebrated and questioned. Notice how Brepols presents different episodes from Gulliver's adventures in a comic strip format. The use of color adds an emotional tone to these scenes; there's a sense of wonder but also alienation. The artwork doesn’t simply retell the story, but invites us to think about power, perspective, and what it means to be an outsider. It's a reflection on how stories shape our understanding of ourselves and the world.