17th Century: Original Jacques Callot engravings

 Jacques Callot              The Gobbi              Les Caprices             Varie Figure              Les Gueux          Israel Silvestre         

Jacques Callot (1592-1632) was one of the earliest great creative artists to practice the graphic arts exclusively. His career can be divided into two periods: an Italian period, c. 1609-1621, and a Lorraine period from 1621 until his death. Callot studied the technique of engraving under Phillipe Thomasin in Rome. About 1612 he joined Guilio Parigi in Florence. At that time Medici patronage expended itself almost exclusively on "feste," and both Parigi and Callot were employed by Cosimo II (de Medici) to create visual records of these entertainments. Callots compositions are organized as if they were a stage setting and reduced the figures to a tiny scale, each one being rendered by the fewest possible strokes. This required an extremely fine etching technique. Callot enjoyed a lasting popularity all over Europe. He returned to Nancy after Cosimo*s death in 1621. During the Lorraine period Callot illustrated sacred books, made a series of plates of the Apostles, and visited Paris to make animated maps of the sieges of La Rochelle and the Ile de RČ. Callot was one of the first etchers to used the technique of repeated biting, and sometimes combined graver work with etching


Varie figure gobbi di Iacopo Callot / Gobbi

Fifteen from a set of twenty-one plates (a title and twenty representations of dwarfs).
Although the title is dated 1616 on plate, Mariette, followed by most modern scholars, thinks the compositions were designed in Florence, but engraved and published in Nancy (between 1621-1625). The fact that the state bearing 'excudit Nanceij' is the earliest known tends to corroborate this hypothesis.

The etchings below are from the first state before the publishers address of I. Silvestre and before the number in the second state.
Important valuable work, you will hardly find a selection like this on the market elsewhere.

Guaranteed original Callot                 Guaranteed early impressions


L.279 ( I / II )
FRONTISPICE (
)
 

The Gobbi 15 from the series of 21 in first states Lieure. 279, L407-426

L.407 ( II / III ) -- copy
L'HOMME S'APPRETANT A TIRER SON SABRE
L.408 ( I / IV )
L'ESTROPIE AU CAPUCHON

L.409 ( I-II / IV )
LE BOSSU A LA CANN

L.410 ( II / III )
L'ESTROPIE A LA BEQUILLE ET A LA JAMBE DE BOIS


L.411 ( I / IV )
LE BUVEUR VU DE FACE

L.412 ( I-II / IV )
LE BUVEUR VU DE DOS

L.413 ( II / III )
LE DUELLISTE AUX DEUX SABRES
L.414 ( I / IV )  -- copy
LE DUELLISTE A L'EPEE ET AU POIGNARD

L.415 ( I-II / IV )
L'HOMME AU GROS VENTRE ORNE D'UNE RANGEE DE BOUTONS

L.416 ( II / III )
L'HOMME AU GROS DOS ORNE D'UNE RANGEE DE BOUTONS

L.417 ( I / IV )
M'HOMME AU VENTRE TOMBANT ET AU CHAPEAU TRES ELEVE

L.418 ( I-II / IV )
LE JOUEUR DE VIOLON

L.419 ( II / III )
L'HOMME MASQUE AUX JAMBES TORSES
L.420 ( I / IV )
LE JOUEUR DE LITH


L.421 ( I-II / IV )
LE JOUEUR DE VEILLE


L.422 ( II / III )
LE JOUEUR DE FLAGEOLET

L.423 ( I / IV )
L'HOMME RACLANT IN GROL EN GUISE DE VIOLON


L.424 ( I-II / IV ) -- copy
LE JOUEUR DE CORNEMUSE


 


L.425 ( II / III ) -- copy
LE COMEDIEN MASQUE JOUANT DE LA GUITARE
L.426 ( I / IV )
LE BANCAL JOUANT DE LA GUITARE

 

click on the thumbnails to see a larger image
 


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