Artwork
The Holy Family
The Holy Family is an ink print by the Baroque artist Jacques Callot. It dates from 1613 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.
- Inscription
- Inscribed:in plate, below circle at left: AND. SART. in.; in plate, below circle at right: P. Mariette excud. I. Callot f.
- Markings
- Marked:recto: none; verso: Alfred Rossier (Lugt 4713) and National Gallery of Art
About this work
Overview
Jacques Callot, a French printmaker active in the early seventeenth century, executed The Holy Family in 1613 as an engraving on laid paper. The work belongs to the religious genre and demonstrates Callot’s facility with fine linear detail and atmospheric depth, hallmarks of his prolific output in the Baroque period.
Subject & Meaning
The composition presents a domestic scene of the Holy Family: a mother cradling an infant, a bearded father standing beside her, and a cherubic child reaching toward the baby. The tender expressions and playful gesture convey intimacy and devotion, emphasizing the human aspect of the sacred narrative.
Technique & Style
Callot employed the engraving process, incising lines into a metal plate to achieve precise, delicate contours. Fine hatching creates subtle shading on clothing and faces, while a decorative border frames the central group. The use of laid paper adds a textured surface that enhances the print’s tonal range.
History & Provenance
Created during Callot’s early career, the print reflects his broader interest in religious subjects alongside his well‑known series of military and genre scenes. It is part of a corpus of over a thousand works that established his reputation as a leading figure in early modern printmaking.
Context
The early 1600s saw a flourishing of devotional imagery in France and the Holy Roman Empire, often disseminated through prints that could reach a wide audience. Callot’s Holy Family aligns with this trend, offering a portable, affordable visual aid for private contemplation.
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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