Les Noces de Cana (The Wedding at Cana), from Les Quatre Banquets (The Four Feasts)
ca. 1625
Medium
Etching and engraving; first state of two (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 5/16 x 10 1/2 in. (18.5 x 26.6 cm) Plate: 2 15/16 x 2 5/16 in. (7.5 x 5.8 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
57.650.358(1)
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *Les Noces de CanaThe Wedding at Cana)*, created around 1625, captures the biblical miracle from the Gospel of John, where Jesus transforms water into wine at a lavish wedding feast. Part of the artist's series *Les Quatrequets (The Four Fe)*, this etching and engraving exemplifies Callot's mastery of Baroque printmaking. Working in France after time in Italy, Callot was renowned for his intricate, teeming compositions that brought grand narratives to intimate scales, blending religious devotion with lively social scenes. The print's diminutive plate size— just 2 15/16 x 2 5/...
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...