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The Fan

Jacques Callot

1619

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque

Dominant colour

The Fan is a 1619 ink by Jacques Callot, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Jacques Callot
When & what style?: 1619 · Baroque
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This image looks like a fancy, decorative fan with a busy scene inside. At the top, there’s a cityscape with buildings and ships, maybe a battle or a big event. Below that, a crowded street scene shows people in old-fashioned clothes—some riding in carriages, others walking or gathering around a stage. The edges of the fan have swirly, almost cartoonish faces and scrollwork. The text at the top names it *The Fan* and says it’s about a battle in Florence in 1619. The artist, Jacques Callot, packed a lot into a small space, mixing drama and detail. Want to see more of this style? Check out etching for how artists like Callot made these sharp, layered prints.