Portrait of a Man in an Armchair, from Collection d'imitations de Dessins d'après les Principaux Maîtres Hollandais et Flamands

Portrait of a Man in an Armchair, from Collection d'imitations de Dessins d'après les Principaux Maîtres Hollandais et Flamands is a significant reproductive print created in 1826 by Christian Josi (Dutch, died 1828) after an original work by the 17th-century master Rembrandt van Rijn (1606-1669). This work stands as a testament to the enduring appreciation for the Dutch Golden Age well into the 19th century, a period when artists and collectors in the Netherlands rigorously studied and copied the techniques of their artistic predecessors. Josi produced this piece as part of a published collection intended to circulate accurate studies of master drawings and sketches, preserving and promoting the visual legacy of historical European art.

The technical complexity of this print demonstrates Josi’s mastery of specialized graphic arts techniques. The image was meticulously realized using a multi-plate process involving soft ground etching, hard ground etching, aquatint, and the use of a roulette applied to paper. This combination of techniques allowed Josi to achieve rich tonal variations and textural depth that successfully mimic the subtle shifts in light and shadow characteristic of Rembrandt's original composition. Such detailed prints served a crucial educational function, documenting classical art before the advent of widespread photographic reproduction.

Executed in 1826, the careful approach taken by Josi in rendering Portrait of a Man in an Armchair ensured its value as both an artistic reproduction and a standalone graphic achievement. This important example of Dutch printmaking history is held within the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, offering scholars and the public access to a detailed study of a masterwork’s influence. As significant historical documentation, high-resolution images of such prints often become available in the public domain, facilitating broader academic study of European masterworks.