Man in oude kapotte jas 1834 - 1888

This sensitive portrait of a man in a worn jacket was made by Arnoldus Jacobus Kouwels using lithography, a printmaking technique that relies on the interactions of grease and water on a flat stone or metal plate. Lithography allowed Kouwels to create an image with rich tonal variations, seen in the man’s face, clothing, and the contrasting areas of light and shadow. The process begins with drawing an image onto a prepared surface with a grease-based crayon or ink. The surface is then treated so that the areas that have been drawn on accept ink, while the undrawn areas repel it. Finally, the image is transferred onto paper, resulting in a print with a unique textural quality. The lithographic process, while not as labor-intensive as engraving, still requires a skilled hand and knowledge of the medium. Kouwels’ artistic choices emphasize the materiality of everyday life, elevating the humble subject through the craft of printmaking. In doing so, he blurs the lines between fine art and the depiction of social realities.