S. Etienne, abbé de Citeaux (St. Stephen, Abbot of Citeaux), April 17th, from "Les Images De Tous Les Saincts et Saintes de L'Année" (Images of All of the Saints and Religious Events of the Year)

Art Historical Context

In the intricate etching *S Etienne, abbé de Citeaux (St. Stephen, Abbot of Cite), April 17th*, from Jacques Callot's renowned series *Les Images De Les Saincts et Saint de L'Année (1636), we encounter a masterful depiction of the Cistercian saint. Published with Israël Henriet, this tiny print (just 2 9/16 x 2 inches) St. Stephen Harding, the abbot of Citeaux Abbey, whose reforms in the early 12th helped shape the austere Ccian order amid medieval monastic revival. Callot a Baroque-era virtuoso of printmaking, renders the saint in dynamic pose, likely haloed and vested, evoking devotional fervor during France's Counter-Reformation. Etched in its second state of two (per Lieure's catalog), the work showcases Callot's revolutionary technique: fine, cross-hatched lines on a copper plate bitten by acid, allowing extraordinary detail in such a minuscule format. This innovation made sacred imagery accessible for prayer books and calendars, democratizing piety for 17th-century Catholics tracking saints' feast days. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints departmentpurchased via the Joseph Pulitzer Bequest in 1917), this gem highlights how prints bridged art and spirituality, turning personal devotion into portable art. Imagine pilgrims carrying it as a talisman—timeless faith in etched precision!

About the Artist

Jacques Callot|Israël Henriet · 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...