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1/13/2013 Houston-- Jacques Callot (1592-1635), one of
the most accomplished printmakers in the history of European art,
created more than 1,400 prints that provide a glimpse
into 17th-century Europe. Callot’s etchings reveal his
fascination with a broad range of subjects, from courtly
pageants and theatrical comedies to the atrocities of war;
from saints and nobles to dwarfs, Gypsies and beggars.
Princes and Paupers: The Art of Jacques Callot
reflects the artist’s wit and imagination through more than 150 objects, including prints, books and tools. Callot revolutionized printmaking by developing the process of hard-ground etching and a new type of etching needle, applying his skills to depicting the world around him in prints that
display extraordinary detail and are often small in size. The exhibition will have a monitor available to amplify specific passages of the impressive print, The Fair at Impruneta, as much of the fine detail is only discernible with the use of a magnifying glass.
As a prolific artist, active in both France and Italy, Callot worked as a court artist for Cosimo II de’ Medici in Florence as well as for the royal courts and nobility of Lorraine, France, and the Netherlands, exclusively making prints. His work was in high demand during his lifetime and his careful observations and artistic skill continue to amaze viewers up to the present
day.
created more than 1,400 prints that provide a glimpse
into 17th-century Europe. Callot’s etchings reveal his
fascination with a broad range of subjects, from courtly
pageants and theatrical comedies to the atrocities of war;
from saints and nobles to dwarfs, Gypsies and beggars.
Princes and Paupers: The Art of Jacques Callot
reflects the artist’s wit and imagination through more than 150 objects, including prints, books and tools. Callot revolutionized printmaking by developing the process of hard-ground etching and a new type of etching needle, applying his skills to depicting the world around him in prints that
display extraordinary detail and are often small in size. The exhibition will have a monitor available to amplify specific passages of the impressive print, The Fair at Impruneta, as much of the fine detail is only discernible with the use of a magnifying glass.
As a prolific artist, active in both France and Italy, Callot worked as a court artist for Cosimo II de’ Medici in Florence as well as for the royal courts and nobility of Lorraine, France, and the Netherlands, exclusively making prints. His work was in high demand during his lifetime and his careful observations and artistic skill continue to amaze viewers up to the present
day.
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