Apostel Mattheüs
1631
Medium
etching
Dimensions
88; 139
About this artwork
collector's mark: Lugt 240
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate etching *Apostelheüs* (Apostle Matthew), created by the masterful French printmaker Jacques Callot in 1631. This intimate portrait, measuring just 139 mm high by 88 mm wide, captures the in a moment of quiet contemplation, rendered with Callot's signature precision. As one of a series depicting the apostles, it reflects the era's deep Catholic devotion amid the religious upheavals of the Thirty Years' War. Callot, a Baroque innovator who worked in Florence and Nancy, revolutionized etching with tools like the *échalotte*—a serrated rocker that allowed for extraordinarily f...
About the Artist
Jacques Callot · 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...