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 an important 1826 print executed by Christian Josi after an original concept by the renowned Dutch Master, Rembrandt van Rijn. This work belongs to a significant early nineteenth-century initiative: a published collection designed to disseminate high-quality visual interpretations of celebrated seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish drawings. Josi’s specific focus on portraiture captures the deep psychological intensity and dramatic lighting characteristic of Rembrandt’s original studies, underscoring the enduring appeal of the Golden Age aesthetic in the 1820s Netherlands.

The technical execution of this printed work is highly complex, utilizing a sophisticated combination of printmaking techniques to achieve its rich, tonal depth. Josi employed soft ground etching drawn from two separate plates, traditional etching, aquatint, and roulette to build up the necessary textures and shadows. Crucially, the impression was further refined through manual additions of brush and grey wash on paper, enhancing the contrast and subtly mimicking the fluid quality of drawing or painting. This hybridization of mechanical and manual processes was necessary to replicate the subtle luminosity and chiaroscuro effects inherent in Rembrandt's work.

Created in 1826, this piece showcases the dedication of artists like Josi to preserve and interpret the legacy of the Dutch Masters for a wider audience. While working in the tradition of reproductive prints, Josi’s approach transformed the composition into an accessible and independent artistic artifact. Such historical prints contributed significantly to the spread of art knowledge before mass photographic reproduction. This carefully executed impression is housed in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, where it serves as a key example of the ongoing reverence for Dutch Baroque art and is often studied by researchers utilizing the museum's extensive public domain resources.