Le Combat (The Combat), from Le Combat a la Barrière in the Palace at Nancy by Henri Humbert, printed by Sebastien Phillipe
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 7/8 x 12 3/8 in. (20 x 31.4 cm) Plate: 6 x 9 7/16 in. (15.3 x 24 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
57.650.407(10)
Art Historical Context
**Le Combat (The Combat)**, from the series *Le Combat à Barrière* in the Palace at Nancy, is a captivating 1627 etching (sheet: 7⅞ × 12⅜ in.) by master printmaker Jacques Callot, contributions from Henri Humbert and by Sébastien Phillipe. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum Art's Drawings and Prints, this work captures the thrill of a barrier joust—a chivalric tournament where armored knights clashed along a dividing fence to prevent full charges. Created during the Baroque era, Callot's etching showcases his revolutionary technique: using multiple fine bitten lines on a copper plate to render...
About the Artist
Jacques Callot|Henri Humbert · 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...