Anger was painted by Jacques Callot in 1621.

Where can I see Anger?

Anger is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Anger?

Anger is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Anger?

Museum-quality prints of Anger are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Anger

Jacques Callot , 1621

Anger is an ink print by the Baroque artist Jacques Callot. It dates from 1621 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1621 by the French baroque printmaker Jacques Callot, Anger is an etching and engraving executed on laid paper.

Created circa 1621 by the French baroque printmaker Jacques Callot, Anger is an etching and engraving executed on laid paper. The composition presents a robust figure brandishing a sword and shield, a crouching lion at his feet, and two birds aloft, all rendered in stark black-and-white. The Latin inscription "Ira" beneath the scene identifies the work as a visual embodiment of the emotion of anger.

Subject & Meaning

The central male figure, helmet set aside, conveys a stern, almost wrathful expression, suggesting personal fury or martial resolve. The lion, traditionally a symbol of strength, appears subdued at his base, while the birds in flight add a sense of fleeting tension. Together, these elements function as an allegorical representation of anger, translating an abstract feeling into a concrete, narrative tableau.

Technique & Style

Callot combined etching’s fluid lines with the precision of engraving to achieve both spontaneous sketchiness and fine detail. The laid paper surface accentuates the contrast between deep shadows and delicate hatching, giving the scene a dynamic sense of movement. His handling of line demonstrates the baroque interest in drama, employing varied line weight to model musculature and animal fur with vigor.

History & Provenance

Part of Callot’s prolific output, over fourteen hundred prints, Anger reflects his early seventeenth‑century activity in the Duchy of Lorraine. While specific ownership records are scarce, the print circulated among collectors of French baroque prints and contributed to Callot’s reputation as an innovator in reproductive printmaking.

Context

During the early 1600s, Callot expanded the expressive possibilities of print media, documenting everyday life, military scenes, and allegorical subjects. Anger aligns with his broader interest in portraying human emotions and social types, situating the work within a period when prints served both decorative and didactic functions across European courts and markets.

Own this work as a print

Artist & collection

Artist

Jacques Callot

Jacques Callot (French: ; c. 1592 – 1635) was a baroque printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine. He is an important person in the development of the old master print. He made more than 1,400 etchings that…