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Coins [plate 3]

Jacques Callot

1630

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque

Dominant colour

Coins [plate 3] is a 1630 ink by Jacques Callot, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Jacques Callot
When & what style?: 1630 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image shows a grid of 16 small, detailed circles—each one a different coat of arms or symbol. Some have eagles, crowns, or shields with strange letters. The lines are sharp and dark, like they were drawn with a needle. Each circle is framed by a thin border, and some have tiny decorative marks linking them together. The coats of arms look like they belong to different people or cities, all packed into one sheet. The artist used a method that lets them carve fine lines into metal, then press ink into those grooves. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this made such precise prints.