Martyrdom of Saint Thomas, from the series 'The little apostles' (Les petits apôtres)
ca. 1632
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 5/16 x 3 3/8 in. (11 x 8.5 cm) Plate: 2 13/16 x 1 13/16 in. (7.1 x 4.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.264.7
Tags
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot, a masterful French etcher of the Baroque era, created *Martyrdom of Saint* around 1632 as part of his series *Les petits apres* (The Little Apostles). This poignant print depicts the apostle's execution, likely by spearing, surrounded by human figures, weapons and symbols of death—evoking the dramatic intensity of religious. Published with Israël Henriet, the exemplifies Callot's fascination with the apostles' fates, rendered in miniature scale to inspire personal devotion. Etching on a tiny plate (just 2 13/16 x 1 13/16 inches), Callot achieved astonishing detail through his ...
About the Artist
Jacques Callot|Israël Henriet · 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...