2nd Plate, Featuring 10 Coins Issued by European Princes in the 16th and 17th centuries, from Les Monnaies (The Currencies)
ca. 1630
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 12 7/8 x 10 5/8 in. (32.7 x 27 cm) Plate: 11 13/16 x 8 3/4 in. (30 x 22.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957
Accession Number
57.650.335(2)
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the intricate world of 17th-century printmaking with this etching, the second plate from *Les Monnaies (The Currencies)*, around 1630 by master etchers Jacques Callot and Israelre. This detailed composition showcases ten coins issued by European princes during the 16th and 17th centuries, meticulously rendered to capture their engravings, portraits, and heraldic symbols. Callot, a pioneering Baroque artist renowned for his virtuoso line work and ability to convey texture and depth, likely led the technical execution, while Silvestre contributed to the series' precision. Etching, the...
About the Artist
Jacques Callot|Israel Silvestre · 1592–1635
Jacques Callot (1592–1635) was a French printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine, widely regarded as one of the first great artists to practice the graphic arts exclusively. His more than 1,400 etchings chronicled the breadth of 17th-century life, from Medici court festivities to the brutal realities of warfare. Callot revolutionized etching through technical innovations including the é...