St. James Major, from Les Grands Apôtres Debout, Représentant Le Sauveur, La Bienheureuse Marie et Les Saints Apôtres (The Large Standing Apostles, Representing The Savior, The Blessed Mary and The Apostles)
Medium
Etching; second state of three (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 5/8 x 3 13/16 in. (14.3 x 9.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel, 1957
Accession Number
57.650.313(3)
Art Historical Context
Behold *St. James Major*, a exquisite etching from Jacques Callot's renowned series *Les Grandsôtres Debout* (The Large Standing Apostles), created in 1631 and published with Israël Henriet. This intimate print, measuring just 5 5/8 x 3 13/16 inches, captures the apostle in a dignified standing pose amid a heavenly assembly honoring the Savior, the Blessed Mary, and the saints Callot, a masterful French Baroque printmaker, produced this as part of a devotional series that elevated religious iconography through meticulous detail, reflecting the Counter-Reformation's emphasis on apostolic faith ...
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...