Pasquariello Truonno and Meo Squaquara
c. 1622
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 7 × 9.3 cm (2 3/4 × 3 11/16 in.) sheet: 10.1 × 12.9 cm (4 × 5 1/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1946.21.218
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's etching *Pasquariello Truonno and Meo Squaquara* (c. 1622) brings to life two boisterous characters from the vibrant world of commedia dell'arte, the improvised Italian theater popular across Europe in the early 17th century. Rendered on a petite plate measuring just 7 × 9.3 cm, this work is part of Callot's renowned *Gueules de Comédiens* (Actors' Faces) series, where he masterfully depicted masked performers, clowns, and buffoons with exaggerated expressions and dynamic poses. Working primarily in Florence for the Medici court, Callot infused these prints with the energy of ...
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...