Face of Young Man

Face of Young Man is a splendid engraving realized by the Belgian artist Edmond Marie Gabriël Van Offel . It is signed in pencil on the right outside the matrix. The state of preservation is good, except for the irregular margins, the spread yellowing, and darker parts at the bottom of the watermarked paper.

Van Offel studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and at the Superior Institute of Fine Arts in Antwerp. He was a painter, illustrator, writer, poet, and graphic designer. As painter, he is known for his urban landscapes, whilst he is also famous for the numerous and innovative projects of book binding made for different important publishing houses in Belgium and the Netherlands. Worthy of mention among his artworks: Shrove Tuesday ,  To the Living Model ,  Van den Schoolmeester ,  Vrijen , and  The True History of Obrecht the Devil .

In this portrait, Van Offel pays homage to the Flemish painting tradition and in particular to Rembrandt and to his surprising portraits. Interesting is the study of light and the chiaroscuro that irradiates from the face of the young man, rendered with a sensible use of the traditional engraving techniques. The gaze is intense and direct; the expression is realistic.

This is an interesting and powerful artwork of small dimensions made by a valid and eclectic artist, in this case the heir of the Flemish painting and engraving school.