Noah's Ark
1628
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 6.2 × 8.2 cm (2 7/16 × 3 1/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1949.5.459
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *Noah's Ark* (1628) is a exquisite etching on laid paper, measuring just 6.2 × 8.2 cm, part of the National Gallery of Art's Rosenwald Collection. This tiny print captures a pivotal biblical moment from the Book of Genesis, depicting the ark amid the Great Flood—a dramatic scene of divine judgment and salvation that resonated deeply in the Counter-Reformation era. Created during Callot's mature period in Florence under Medici patronage, it reflects the Baroque emphasis on emotional intensity and moral storytelling through visual narrative. As a master of etching, Callot pione...
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...