Jésus au Jardin des Oliviers (Jesus in the Garden of Olives), from "La Petite Passion" (The Little Passion)
1624–25
Medium
Etching; first state of two (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/16 x 2 3/8 in. (7.7 x 6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1917
Accession Number
17.50.17-326
Art Historical Context
Step into the intimate drama of *Jésus au Jardin des Oliv* (Jesus in the Garden of Olives a poignant etching from Jacques Callot's *La Petite Passion* series, created between 1624 and 1625. This first-state impression captures the biblical moment of Christ's agony in Gethsemane, where he prays amid sleeping disciples as an angel offers solace. Part of a 36-print cycle depicting Christ's life, it reflects the deep religious fervor of the Baroque era and the Counter-Reformation's emphasis on emotional devotion. Callot, a masterful French printmaker, excelled in etching's fine lines and intricat...
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...