L'Attaque (The Attack), from Les Combats de Quatre Galères (The Battles of Four Galleys)
early 17th century
Medium
Etching; second state of three (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 9/16 x 8 1/8 in. (14.2 x 20.7 cm) Plate: 5 7/8 x 7 15/16 in. (15 x 20.2 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, by exchange, 1940
Accession Number
40.52.21
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *L'Attaque (The Attack)*, from the series *Lesats de Quatre Gal (The Battles of Four Galle)*, captures the chaos of 17th-century naval warfare intricate detail. Created in the early 1600s, this etching depicts a fierce galley battle, with ships clashing amid cannon fire and swirling combatants. Callot, a masterful French printmaker from Lorraine, was renowned for his Baroque-style etchings that brought dynamic, crowded scenes to life on a modest scale—here, the plate measures just 5 7/8 x 7 15/16 inches. As the second state of three (per Lieure's catalog), this impression sho...
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...