Jacques Callot

1592–1635, Nancy

Jacques Callot was a highly talented etcher and draughtsman from Nancy. Having arrived in Florence in late 1611, he spent the first few years of his stay there attempting to perfect his drawing skills under the supervision of Giulio Parigi. His efforts paid off when, in the autumn of 1614, he was granted official membership of the Grand-Duke’s “Galleria” and given a workshop in the Uffizi. In 1622 Callot accepted an appointment by the later Duke Charles IV to his native city, where he enhanced his reputation. In 1629 King Louis XIII of France summoned him to Paris. It was during this sojourn in Paris that Israel Henriet became Callot’s friend and publisher. Callot, who produced over 1,500 etchings, played an eminent role in the history of printmaking and had a defining influence on the medium.