La Cêne (The Last Supper), from La Grande Passion (The Large Passion)

Art Historical Context

Jacques Callot's *La Cêne (The Last Supper)*, created around 1619–24, is a masterful etching from his renowned series *La Grande Passion (The Large Passion)*, a set of 18 prints depicting key moments in Christ's life. As a leading French printmaker of the early Baroque era, Callot drew inspiration from biblical narratives and Italian masters like Cigoli, infusing his works with dramatic intensity and emotional depth. This scene captures the solemnity of the Last Supper, rendered on a modest sheet measuring just 4 7/16 x 8 9/16 inches, making it a portable window into sacred history for 17th-century devotees. Callot's technique—combining etching's fluid lines with engraving's precision—allowed for extraordinary detail in such a small format, a hallmark of his innovative printmaking. This first state of three, as cataloged by Lieure, represents the purest early impression before later alterations, preserving the artist's original vision. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department through the bequest of Edwin De T. Bechtel in 1957, it exemplifies how prints democratized religious art, bridging elite workshops and everyday worshippers during the Counter-Reformation. Today, this work highlights Callot's legacy in elevating print as fine art, blending technical virtuosity with profound spirituality. Visitors will appreciate its intricate composition, where every gesture and shadow evokes the mystery of that fateful meal.

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...