Cosimo II de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
1621
Medium
etching and engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 20 × 13.3 cm (7 7/8 × 5 1/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
R.L. Baumfeld Collection
Accession Number
1969.15.65
Art Historical Context
Behold Jacques Callot's exquisite etching and engraving, *Cosimo II de', Grand Duke of Tuscany (1621), a portrait on laid paper measuring just 20 × 13.3 cm. Created by the renowned French printmaker Jacques Callot who served at the Medici court in Florence 1612 to 1625, this work immortalizes Cosimo II, who ruled Tuscany from 1609 until his untimely death that same year at age 30. Callot's mastery shines in the precise lines and intricate details, blending etching's fluid spontaneity with engraving's sharp refinement to convey the duke's dignified poise and noble attire. Historically, this pr...
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...