Exhibition archive - The Work of Jacques Callot - Norton Museum of Art

Innovations in Printmaking: The Work of Jacques Callot
9/16/2000 - 12/10/2000

The Norton Museum of Art opens a new exhibition entitledInnovations in Printmaking: The Works of Jacques Callot on September 16, 2000. This exhibition explores the technically innovative etchings of the seventeenth-century French printmaker Jacques Callot (1592-1635). Selected from a collection of more than 200 prints recently donated by David J. Patten to the Norton Museum of Art, Innovations in Printmaking: The Works of Jacques Callot is organized by the Museum.

This exhibition explores the technically innovative etchings of the seventeenth-century French printmaker Jacques Callot. These works are selected from an outstanding collection of more than two hundred prints recently donated by David J. Patten to the Norton Museum of Art. Jacques Callot revolutionized printmaking with his development of what became known as hard-ground etching techniques. In this process, a varnish is spread over the surface of a copper plate. When dry, the printmaker can scratch delicate lines and fine details into this hardened varnish that are then etched into the copper when it is immersed in an acid bath. Trained in Italy early in life, this French printmaker used his newly discovered process to produce a vast array of imagery, from horrifying records of war to humorous images inspired by theatrical comedies. This exhibition is organized by the Norton Museum of Art.

Trained in Italy early in life, Jacques Callot revolutionized printmaking techniques with his advancement of hard-ground etching techniques. In this process, a varnish is spread over the surface of a copper plate. When dry, the printmaker can scratch delicate lines and fine details into this hardened varnish that are then etched into the copper plate by immersing it in an acid bath. This etching process allowed Callot to produce small-scale prints of extraordinary finish - many of the works in the exhibition measure no more than two or three inches across. Despite their diminutive size, Callot's compositions often include architectural elements and natural settings that are more commonly associated with pictorial designs of much grander dimensions.

Jacques Callot used his newly discovered hard-ground etching process to produce a vast array of imagery. He also often produced his works in series, executing several prints in similar style and format to develop a narrative or to illustrate diverse aspects of early seventeenth-century life. The selection of prints in the exhibition surveys both secular and religious themes, both sacred and profane imagery being common to Callot's work. Callot's subjects encompass not only lighthearted theatrical figures based on the Italian Commedia dell'Arte within the series Les Caprices (1622), but also horrific depictions of battle and turmoil within the series The Miseries of War (1633). Further engravings and etchings in the exhibition illustrate New Testament scenes in print series devoted to The Passion (1618), The Penitents (1632), and The Prodigal Son (1639). Jacques Callot's imagery reveals both the violent and playful sides, the tragic and humorous elements of European culture in the early 1600s.

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