Young Woman, in Profile, Facing Right

Art Historical Context

This delicate etching, *Young Woman, in Profile, Facing Right*, captures a graceful figure in a simple yet elegant pose. Created by Israel Henriet after an original design by Jacques Callot, the print dates from the mid-17th century and exemplifies the collaborative world of printmaking during that era. Henriet, a prominent publisher and etcher, often reproduced and disseminated Callot’s inventive compositions, helping to spread the artist’s distinctive vision across Europe. Jacques Callot (1592–1635) was a master of etching whose lively scenes of court life, beggars, and soldiers influenced generations of artists. Though best known for his dynamic crowd scenes and theatrical subjects, Callot also produced sensitive studies of individual figures. The etching technique allowed for fine, expressive lines that bring subtle texture to the woman’s hair and clothing, all within the intimate scale of just under six inches tall. Housed in the National Gallery of Art’s collection as part of the R.L. Baumfeld gift, this small print highlights how 17th-century etchings served both as affordable art objects and as vehicles for artistic ideas. Its trimmed edges and crisp lines on laid paper invite close looking, rewarding viewers with the quiet charm of a fleeting profile.