Pride (Vanity)
probably after 1621
Medium
etching and engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 6.7 × 5.2 cm (2 5/8 × 2 1/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
R.L. Baumfeld Collection
Accession Number
1969.15.391
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *Pride (Vanity)*, an exquisite etching and engraving from probably after 1621, captures the essence of one of the Seven Deadly Sins with dramatic flair. As a leading French printmaker of the early Baroque period, Callot was renowned for his intricate, morally charged series, and this small-scale work (just 6.7 × 5.2 cm) likely belongs to his depictions of human vices. Created during a time of religious fervor and social upheaval in 17th-century Europe, it reflects the era's obsession with moral allegory, warning viewers against the perils of excessive pride through vivid, thea...
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...