St. Abundius; St. Galbertus; St. Marciana; St. Anacletus
c. 1632/1635
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 21.5 × 12.2 cm (8 7/16 × 4 13/16 in.) sheet: 25.5 × 15.8 cm (10 1/16 × 6 1/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
R.L. Baumfeld Collection
Accession Number
1969.15.699
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot, a masterful French printmaker of the Baroque era (159–1635), created this etching around 1632–1635, late in his prolific career. Titled *St. Abundius; St. Galbertus; St Marciana; St. Anacletus*, depicts four lesser-known Catholic saints in a compact, elegant composition on a modest plate measuring 21.5 × 12.2 cm. Callot, renowned for his intricate religious imagery amid the Counter-Reformation fervor, likely produced this as part of a devotional series, inviting viewers to contemplate these holy figures—martyrs and early church leaders—who embodied faith and piety during turbul...
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...