St. Alexis, July 17th, from "Les Images De Tous Les Saincts et Saintes de L'Année" (Images of All of the Saints and Religious Events of the Year)
Medium
Etching; second state of two (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 2 1/2 x 1 15/16 in. (6.3 x 5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Joseph Pulitzer Bequest, 1917
Accession Number
17.50.17-371(239)
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intricate etching *St. Alexis, July17th*, from Jacques Callot's series * Images De Tous Les Saincts et Saintes de LAnnée* (Images of All the Saints and Religious Events of the Year published in 1636 by Israël Henriet, we encounter diminutive yet profoundly devotional portrait of the 5th-century saint. Rendered in the second state of two—a refined version with enhanced details—this tiny print (just 2½ x 1⅞ inches) captures St. Alexis, the humble beggar who renounced wealth to live in anonymity outside his parents' home for 17 years, embodying ideals of Christian poverty and piety. Part o...
About the Artist
Jacques Callot|Israël Henriet · 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...