Small male figure in feathered cap with upraised hand holding a cup and other hand grasping a handled vessel, in frontal view, from the series 'Varie figure gobbi'
ca. 1621–25
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Plate: 2 3/8 x 3 3/8 in. (6 x 8.5 cm) Sheet: 3 11/16 x 3 7/16 in. (9.4 x 8.8 cm) Mount: 3 15/16 x 5 1/2 in. (10 x 14 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.255.6
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delightful etching by Jacques Callot, a master French printmaker of the early Baroque period, captures a whimsical "gobbo"—a hunchbacked figure—from his renowned series *Varie figurebi* (Various Hunchback Figures), created around 1621–25. Titled *Small male figure in fe cap with upraised hand a cup and other hand a handled vessel, in frontal view*, it showcases one of 24 small-scale prints that blend fantasy, satire, and social commentary. Callot, who worked extensively in Italy and France, drew inspiration from commedia dell'arte performers and street life, transforming everyday eccentri...
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...