The Temptation of Saint Anthony - Jacques Callot

Print and Drawing Special Account

"The Temptation of Saint Anthony" by Jacques Callot (1635) Etching in black on ivory laid paper.

Commentary

"The Temptation of Saint Anthony" by Jacques Callot (1635) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and contrast do most of th e expressive work. Themes to notice include print. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Jacques Callot is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Jacques Callot French, 1592-1635. The work is cataloged within a France cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as print, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Etching in black on ivory laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image/sheet; trimmed to platemark: 35.6 × 46.6 cm (14 1/16 × 18 3/8 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include print. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/27703

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data