Artwork
Peasant Defecating
Peasant Defecating is an ink print by the Baroque artist Jacques Callot. It dates from 1622 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
About this work
Overview
Peasant Defecating (c. 1622) is an etching on laid paper by French Baroque artist Jacques Callot, one of over 1,400 prints in his oeuvre. This work exemplifies Callot's penchant for documenting everyday life with meticulous detail.
Subject & Meaning
The etching depicts a peasant in a private, mundane moment within a wooded landscape. The inclusion of a discarded sword and a distant figure adds subtle context, though the focus remains on the peasant's solitary, intimate act.
Technique & Style
Executed in a simple, sketchy etching style, the work features expressive lines and shading to achieve depth and texture. Callot's mastery of etching is evident in the precise capture of a fleeting, quiet moment.
History & Provenance
Created circa 1622, Peasant Defecating is part of Callot's extensive contribution to the evolution of old master printmaking, particularly in the Baroque period.
Context
This piece is characteristic of Callot's broader practice of portraying marginalized figures (soldiers, beggars, peasants) within the fabric of 17th-century society, often set against expansive, detailed backgrounds.
Own this work as a print
Artist & collection
Artist
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…
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