The Death of St. Benedict, plate 13 from "Les Eglises Jubilaires" (The Paintings of Rome, The Churches Jubilee)
Medium
Engraving; second state of two (Lieure)
Dimensions
Sheet: 4 13/16 x 3 1/16 in. (12.2 x 7.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1959
Accession Number
59.569.14
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the intricate engraving *The Death of St.*, plate 13 from Jacques Callot's series *Les Eglises Jubilaires* (The Paintings of Rome, The Churches), created between 1607 and 1611, we witness a poignant moment from the life of the 6th-century founder of Western monasticism. Collaborating with Italian Mannerist painter Giovanni de'chi, who likely provided the original composition, Callot masterfully reproduced a fresco from one of Rome's Jubilee churches. The scene captures St. Benedict on his deathbed, surrounded by monks, saints, children, men, and women in a compact 4 13/16 x 3 1/16-inch shee...
About the Artist
Jacques Callot|Giovanni de' Vecchi · 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...