Bearded man, dressed in rags, holding his head with one hand and a walking stick with the other, from the series 'The beggars' (Les gueux)
ca. 1622–23
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
plate: 5 7/16 x 3 7/16 in. (13.8 x 8.8 cm) sheet: 5 11/16 x 3 11/16 in. (14.4 x 9.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.253
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's etching *Bearded man, dressed rags, holding his head one hand and a walking with the other*, from the series *Lesueux* (The Beggars), captures the raw humanity of 17th-century. Created around 1622–23, this small plate (13.8 x 8.8 cm) depicts a weary vagabond in tattered clothes, his gesture evoking exhaustion and despair. Part of Callot's renowned series of 25 prints, it portrays the marginalized "beggars" of Europe with unflinching detail, blending empathy and social commentary. As a master etcher, Callot revolutionized printmaking with his precise line work and innovative t...
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...