Jongen van opzij gezien - Jean Augustin Daiwaille

A refined nineteenth-century lithograph portrait of a young boy in profile, demonstrating the technical precision of Dutch artist Jean Augustin Daiwaille.

This lithograph by Jean Augustin Daiwaille captures a young boy in profile, demonstrating the artist's technical command of the medium. Daiwaille, a Dutch painter and lithographer, was active during the early nineteenth century and contributed to the popularisation of lithography in the Netherlands. His work often focused on portraiture, where he employed subtle tonal gradations to model form and texture.

The composition is sparse, focusing entirely on the subject against a neutral background. The boy is depicted with a soft, naturalistic expression. Daiwaille uses fine, controlled lines to define the curls of the hair and the contours of the face. The shading is achieved through delicate cross-hatching and stippling, which allows for a smooth transition between light and shadow. This approach gives the skin a lifelike quality, typical of the period's interest in realistic portraiture.

As a lithograph, the work reflects the technical possibilities of the process, which allowed artists to replicate the appearance of pencil or chalk drawings with high fidelity. The inclusion of the mark 'No. 10' suggests this print was part of a larger series or a drawing manual, common in the nineteenth century for educational purposes or artistic study. The simplicity of the presentation directs the viewer to the anatomical precision of the drawing. The artist captures the specific features of the child with clarity, avoiding unnecessary detail in the clothing or surroundings. This print is an example of the refined graphic work produced by Daiwaille, who was also known for his role as the director of the Amsterdam Academy of Fine Arts.