Le Gentilhomme aux Mains Jointes (The Gentleman with his Hands Joined), from La Noblesse (The Nobility)
ca. 1623
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 9/16 x 3 5/8 in. (14.2 x 9.2 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
57.650.347(7)
Art Historical Context
In the early 17th century, French artist Jacques Callot, a virtuoso of printmaking, captured the elegance of European aristocracy in his series *La Noblesse (The Nobility)*. Created around 1623, *Le Gentilhomme aux Mains Joint (The Gentleman with his Joined)* is a delicate etching depicting a nobleman in formal attire, his hands clasped in a gesture of poise or prayer. Measuring just 5 9/16 x 3 5/8 inches, this intimate portrait exemplifies Callot's mastery of the Baroque style, blending intricate detail with psychological depth to evoke the refined world of the nobility during France's ancien...
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...