Entry of His Highness, Representing the Sun, from The Combat at the Barrier
1627
Medium
Etching in black on ivory laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 15.5 × 24.2 cm (6 1/8 × 9 9/16 in.); Sheet: 17.2 × 25.2 cm (6 13/16 × 9 15/16 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
111416
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, appears at the upper right at the end of his grand entry parade, wreathed in the glow of the sun, for he portrays the god Apollo. His sumptuous procession begins at the lower right, with a stage of performing musicians drawn by women with cymbals; the forge of the god Vulcan follows, then a formal garden with fountains, pulled by men transforming into trees. Long-maned horses draw the Duke’s resplendent, likely gilded chariot. The face of the sun appears often on th...
About the Artist
Jacques Callot · 1592–1635
Jacques Callot (1592–1635) was a French printmaker and draftsman from the Duchy of Lorraine, widely regarded as one of the first great artists to practice the graphic arts exclusively. His more than 1,400 etchings chronicled the breadth of 17th-century life, from Medici court festivities to the brutal realities of warfare. Callot revolutionized etching through technical innovations including the é...