Les Deux Turcs Coiffés d'un Turban Avec un Aigrette (Two Turks Wearing Turbans with an Egret Feather), from Varie Figure (Various Figures), plate 8
ca. 1620
Medium
Etching; third state of three (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/4 x 3 9/16 in. (8.2 x 9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1953
Accession Number
53.600.3711
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *Les Deux Turcs Coiffés d'un Tur Avec un Aigrette* (Two Turks Wearing Turbans with an Egret Feather), plate 8 his *Varie Figure* ( Figures) series, captures the exotic allure of Ottoman fashion around 1620. This tiny etching, measuring just 3¼ x 3⅜ inches, depicts two figures in elaborate turbans adorned with egret feathers—a symbol of status in Turkish culture—showcasing Callot's fascination with diverse costumes and characters from across Europe and beyond. Created during the Baroque era, the print reflects Europe's growing curiosity about the Ottoman Empire amid diplomatic...
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...