Preparing to Fire the Cannon
1634
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Jacques Callot
Jacques Callot was a baroque printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine.
See the richer artist page1634
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Preparing to Fire the Cannon is a 1634 ink by Jacques Callot, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows two soldiers in old-fashioned armor handling a cannon. One man points toward the barrel, while the other holds a long stick. The cannon sits on a wooden platform with a few cannonballs scattered nearby. The soldiers’ hats have big feathers, and their clothes look stiff and heavy—like they’re ready for battle. The whole scene is drawn in a rough, scratchy style, almost like a quick sketch. This is an example of etching, a printing method where artists scratch into metal plates.
Jacques Callot was a baroque printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine.
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