Man met een vertrokken gezicht 1854 - 1907

This image, titled "Man met een vertrokken gezicht," or "Man with a distraught face," was created by Eberhard Cornelis Rahms using a lithographic crayon and transfer paper. Lithography, a printing technique using a stone or metal plate with a smooth surface, allowed Rahms to capture a range of textures and tonal values. The artist would have drawn directly onto the transfer paper, which was then adhered to the lithographic stone. The stone, treated chemically to accept ink only in the areas drawn upon, was then used to make prints. Looking at the distressed visage of the man, we can almost feel the pressure of the crayon on the stone, each mark adding to the weight of the subject's troubled expression. Lithography, with its capacity for reproducing nuanced drawings, lends itself well to portraiture, particularly when aiming to capture psychological depth. The resulting print is a testament to the skilled hand of the artist, and the expressive potential of this method. By focusing on the processes and materials involved, we can see how the choice of technique contributes to the overall impact of the artwork.