Les Supplices [The Punishments]
circa 1634
17th century
10.7 cm x 21.6 cm (4 3/16 in. x 8 1/2 in.)
Jacques Callot
(Nancy, France, 1592 - 1635, Nancy, France)
Primary
Object Type:
print
Artist Nationality:
Europe, French
Medium and Support:
Etching
Credit Line:
Blanton Museum of Art, The University of Texas at Austin, The Leo Steinberg Collection, 2002
Accession Number:
2002.557
In the work of Callot, everyday subjects were elaborated and ennobled through elegant design and etching that, with the use of a hard ground, affects the ideal appearance of engraving. Les supplices, a famous plate from his latest activity, presents a series of vignettes of contemporary corporal punishment. It becomes, however, universal through the panoramic urban setting, remove from individual reaction, and refined touch. The Steinberg Collection counts more than 150 prints by Callot, with some, like this, of considerable rarity and great quality.