Title Page for "Il Solimano"
1620
Medium
etching and engraving on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 20 x 14 cm (7 7/8 x 5 1/2 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Gift of Ruth B. Benedict in memory of William S. Benedict
Accession Number
1981.56.2
Art Historical Context
Jacques Callot's *Title Page for "Ilimano"* (1620) is a captivating example of early Baroque printmaking, inviting visitors into the dramatic world of 17th-century Italian theater. Created as a frontispiece for the opera libretto *Il Solimano*—likely referencing the Ottoman sultan Suleiman the Magnificent—this compact etching and engraving on laid paper (20 x14 cm) served as both artistic showcase and promotional tool. Callot, a French-born master working in Florence Medici patronage, excelled in translating theatrical spectacle into intricate prints, blending historical grandeur with lively p...
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...