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

Study for Portrait of a Man in an Armchair, from Collection d'imitations de Dessins d'après les Principaux Maîtres Hollandais et Flamands by Christian Josi (Dutch, died 1828) after Rembrandt van Rijn (Dutch, 1606-1669) is an essential work reflecting the early 19th-century devotion to historical masterworks. Dated 1826, this piece belongs to Josi’s ambitious project, the Collection d'imitations, a comprehensive survey intended to reproduce and disseminate the techniques of the great Dutch and Flemish Masters, ensuring their style and composition remained accessible to artists and collectors. This important drawing is housed in the permanent collection of the Art Institute of Chicago.

The classification of this piece as a drawing underscores its function as a precise study and copy. Josi utilized graphite and red chalk on light weight tracing paper, materials ideally suited for meticulously replicating the lines, shading, and expressive qualities of the original 17th-century Rembrandt study. By employing these varied media, Josi was able to document the original master’s hand with high fidelity. The resulting image focuses closely on the subject, a man seated in an armchair, capturing his posture and the heavy drapery of his clothing characteristic of the earlier Dutch Golden Age period.

The creation of such detailed imitations in the Netherlands during the 1820s was a critical endeavor before mass photographic reproduction was possible. Josi’s careful copies often served as templates for subsequent reproduction into highly desirable prints, expanding access to these works globally. Today, the integrity of these historical copies, preserved in major institutions, allows high-quality images of this era of drawing to enter the public domain for continued scholarly appreciation and reference.