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

The Portrait of a Man in an Armchair, from Collection d'imitations de Dessins d'après les Principaux Maîtres Hollandais et Flamands is an exquisite 1826 print created by Christian Josi after a design by the 17th-century Dutch master, Rembrandt van Rijn. This work belongs to a significant collection dedicated to replicating the drawn styles of the greatest Dutch and Flemish masters, highlighting the enduring historical prestige of the Netherlands' Golden Age artists well into the 19th century.

Josi achieved the rich texture and tonal complexity of the subject through a sophisticated combination of printmaking techniques. The final impression was meticulously pulled from two separate plates, employing soft ground etching, hard ground etching, aquatint, and roulette. This layering of processes allowed Josi to print in dual colors—red-brown and black inks—on white laid paper, producing a highly nuanced, painterly effect that mimics the deep shadows and focused light characteristic of Rembrandt’s psychological portraits.

As a dedicated copyist and publisher, Josi’s ambitious project aimed to document and disseminate these classic compositions, preserving the stylistic achievements of previous generations. This process ensures the survival of visual records and makes the core aesthetics of masters like Rembrandt accessible through these detailed prints. The Portrait of a Man in an Armchair exemplifies the quality and complexity of Josi's endeavors, and it is housed in the distinguished collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where the image is now accessible to the public domain.