Beggar without Hat or Shoes, plate twelve from The Beggars
c. 1622
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 13.8 × 8.6 cm (5 7/16 × 3 7/16 in.); Sheet: 14.2 × 9.2 cm (5 5/8 × 3 5/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
18054
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *Beggar without Hat or*, plate twelve from the renowned series *The Beggars* (Les Gueux), dates to around 1622 and offers a poignant glimpse into the social margins of 17th-century. This intimate etching portrays a ragged figure stripped of basic protections, embodying the desperation of itinerant beggars who roamed the streets of France and Italy during Callot's time. As a leading Baroque printmaker, Callot drew from his experiences in Florence and Lorraine to document these overlooked lives with unflinching realism. The *Beggars* series, comprising 25 plates, stands as a la...
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...