La Cêne (The Last Supper), from La Grande Passion (The Large Passion)
ca. 1619–24
Medium
Etching and engraving; first state of three (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 7/16 x 8 9/16 in. (11.3 x 21.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957
Accession Number
57.650.381(2)
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *La Cêne (The Last Supper)*, created around 1619–24, is a masterful etching from his renowned series *La Grande Passion (The Large Passion)*, a set of 18 prints depicting key moments in Christ's life. As a leading French printmaker of the early Baroque era, Callot drew inspiration from biblical narratives and Italian masters like Cigoli, infusing his works with dramatic intensity and emotional depth. This scene captures the solemnity of the Last Supper, rendered on a modest sheet measuring just 4 7/16 x 8 9/16 inches, making it a portable window into sacred history for 17th-ce...
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...