Rembarquement des Troupes (Embarkation of Troops), from La Vie de Ferdinand Ier de Médicis série appelée aussi Les Batailles des Médicis (The Life of Ferdinand I de'Medici also called The Medici Battles)

Art Historical Context

This engraving, *Rembarquement des Troupes* (Embarkation of Troops), forms part of *The Life of Ferdinand I de’ Medici*, also known as *The Medici Battles*, a celebrated series produced between 1614 and 1620. Created by Jacques Callot after designs by Matteo Rosselli, the print belongs to a cycle commissioned to celebrate the military and political achievements of Grand Duke Ferdinand I of Tuscany. As the first state of two, it captures the precise moment when troops board ships, highlighting the Medici’s naval power in the Mediterranean during the early seventeenth century. Callot, a master of seventeenth-century printmaking, used the engraving technique to achieve remarkable detail and dynamic composition within a modest plate size. His fine lines convey the organized bustle of soldiers, banners, and vessels, transforming a historical event into a vivid narrative. Such prints allowed the Medici court to disseminate images of their glory across Europe, reaching audiences far beyond Florence. Today in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection, this work exemplifies how prints served both as artistic treasures and tools of political storytelling, preserving the spectacle of Medici military campaigns for generations of viewers.

About the Artist

Jacques Callot|Matteo Rosselli · 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...