Beggar with Rosary
c. 1622
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 13.8 × 8.8 cm (5 7/16 × 3 7/16 in.) sheet: 14.5 × 9.5 cm (5 11/16 × 3 3/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1949.5.291
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *Beggar with Rosary (c. 1622) is a poignant etching from the French Baroque master's renowned series *Les Gueux* (The Beggars), which vividly portrays the marginalized figures of 17th-century Europe. Created during Callot's time in Florence Medici patronage, this small-scale print (plate: .8 × 8.8 cm) captures a ragged beggar clutching a rosary, blending stark social realism with subtle religious devotion. Callot, a pioneer of etching, elevated printmaking from reproductive tool to expressive art form, influencing generations including Rembrandt. The etching technique—acid bi...
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...