The Doe
1628
Medium
etching on laid paper
Dimensions
sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 6.2 × 8.2 cm (2 7/16 × 3 1/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1949.5.448
Art Historical Context
**The Doe**, a delicate etching by the renowned French printmaker Jacques Callot, dates to 1628 and captures the graceful form of a deer in a compact sheet measuring just 6.2 × 8.2 cm. Created on laid paper, this intimate work exemplifies Callot's prowess during the Baroque era, when he was at the height of his career in Nancy and Florence. Callot, a master innovator in printmaking, often produced such small-scale etchings that allowed for widespread dissemination of his intricate designs, blending meticulous detail with dynamic energy. Etching, Callot's preferred medium, involved coating a c...
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...