Jonge man bij oude man in stoel 1805 - 1844

Ignace-Joseph de Claussin made this print called “Young man by an old man in a chair” from etching around 1810-1840 in France. It depicts two standing men in what appears to be Rembrandt-era costume, attending to an elderly seated man. De Claussin was a printmaker and art dealer, meaning that he was not necessarily beholden to the academies or other institutions that promoted certain kinds of art. Instead, he was free to copy or riff on much older images, like the works of Rembrandt. Note the prominent signature. The imagery in the print evokes some interesting questions about the art market. Was de Claussin trying to pass this off as a genuine Rembrandt? Or was he merely using Rembrandt as inspiration for a new work that would recall the old master? To better understand this image, one might consult not only catalogues raisonnés of Rembrandt’s prints, but also archival sources about the art market in early 19th-century France.