Lust was painted by Jacques Callot in 1621.

Where can I see Lust?

Lust is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Lust?

Lust is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Lust?

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

Artwork

Lust

Jacques Callot , 1621

Lust 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 around 1621, Lust is an etching and engraving executed on laid paper by Jacques Callot, a prolific Baroque printmaker from the Duchy of Lorraine.

Created around 1621, Lust is an etching and engraving executed on laid paper by Jacques Callot, a prolific Baroque printmaker from the Duchy of Lorraine. The image presents a solitary, barefoot figure clutching a bird in one hand and a scroll in the other, accompanied by a goat with spiraled horns. A garland of vines crowns the figure’s head, and the Latin term "Luxuria" appears beneath the scene.

Subject & Meaning

The central figure functions as an allegorical personification of excess, a common motif in early‑modern visual culture. The bird, often a symbol of fleeting desire, and the goat, traditionally linked to unbridled appetites, reinforce the theme of uncontrolled longing. The scroll may allude to written law or moral instruction, contrasting with the figure’s indulgent posture.

Technique & Style

Callot combined etching with engraving, allowing him to render fine lines alongside deeper, more decisive strokes. The laid paper surface contributes a subtle texture that enhances the delicate hatching of the draped cloth and the intricate vine crown. His precise handling of line and tonal variation reflects the meticulous approach that characterizes his extensive oeuvre of over a thousand prints.

History & Provenance

The work belongs to Callot’s early period, when he was producing series that documented the social spectrum of his time, from soldiers to beggars. While the exact ownership trail of this particular print is not fully recorded, it is typical of his prints that circulated widely among collectors and connoisseurs throughout 17th‑century Europe.

Context

Lust fits within the broader Baroque fascination with moralizing allegories and the depiction of human vices. In the early 1620s, Lorraine was a crossroads of cultural exchange, and Callot’s prints served both as artistic statements and as visual commentaries on contemporary behavior, blending observation with symbolic narrative.

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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…