Lezende oude man 1776

"Lezende oude man" (Reading Old Man), a 1776 etching by Johann Andreas Benjamin Nothnagel, depicts an older man engrossed in a book, his focused gaze and wrinkled brow suggesting deep concentration. Nothnagel, a German artist active in the late 18th century, was known for his portraiture and religious scenes. This intimate depiction of a solitary figure absorbed in contemplation is characteristic of his style and reflects the artistic trends of the Enlightenment era.