St. Simeon; St. Gabinius; St. Eucharius; St. Silvanus
c. 1632/1635
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
plate: 21.2 × 12.2 cm (8 3/8 × 4 13/16 in.) sheet: 25.3 × 16 cm (9 15/16 × 6 5/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
R.L. Baumfeld Collection
Accession Number
1969.15.656
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *St. Simeon; St. Gabinius; St. Eucharius; St. Silvanus* (c. 1632/1635) is a exquisite etching that captures four lesser-known saints in a compact, devotional composition. Created during the French Baroque master's late career, likely in his native Lorraine, this print reflects the era's fervent religious devotion amid the Counter-Reformation. Callot, renowned for his intricate narrative series like the *Miseries of War*, here turns his gaze to hagiography, portraying the saints with characteristic elegance and spiritual intensity. The medium—etching on laid paper—showcases Ca...
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...