La Grande Duchesse Marie des Jeunes Filles (The Great Duchess Marie des Jeunes Filles), from La Vie de Ferdinand Ier de Médicis série appelée aussi Les Batailles des Médicis (The Life of Ferdinand I de'Medici also called The Medici Battles)
Medium
Engraving; first state of two (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 9 1/16 x 12 in. (23 x 30.5 cm) Plate: 8 7/8 x 11 7/8 in. (22.6 x 30.2 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
57.650.363(2)
Art Historical Context
This engraving, created between 1614 and 1620 by Jacques Callot after designs by Matteo Rosselli, forms part of the ambitious series *The Life of Ferdinand I de’ Medici*, also known as *The Medici Battles*. The print depicts a ceremonial scene involving the Grand Duchess Marie surrounded by young noblewomen, celebrating the splendor of the Tuscan court under Ferdinand’s rule. As one of the first states of two, it preserves the crisp lines and intricate details characteristic of early impressions. Callot, a master of seventeenth-century printmaking, brought remarkable precision to the medium o...
About the Artist
Jacques Callot|Matteo Rosselli · 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...