La Place du Dome, a Florence (The Piazza del Duomo, in Florence), from Les Caprices Series B, The Nancy Set
Medium
Etching; first state of two (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 5/16 x 10 1/4 in. (18.5 x 26 cm) Plate: 2 1/8 x 3 1/8 in. (5.4 x 8 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
57.650.300(42)
Art Historical Context
Step into the bustling heart of Renaissance Florence with Jacques Callot's *La Place du Dome, a* (The Piazza del Duomo, in Florence), a delicate etching from his *Les Caprices Series B, The Nancy Set* (1617–20). This first-state impression captures the vibrant piazza dominated by the iconic Duomo cathedral, surrounded by lively crowds, vendors, and everyday revelers. Callot, a masterful French printmaker who served at the Medici court in Florence skillfully rendered this scene on a tiny plate (just 2 1/8 x 3 1/8 inches), showcasing his genius for intricate detail in miniature format. Etching ...
About the Artist
Jacques Callot|Lorenzo de' Medici · 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...