Who painted Coins [plate 8]?

Coins [plate 8] was painted by Jacques Callot in 1630.

Where can I see Coins [plate 8]?

Coins [plate 8] is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Coins [plate 8]?

Coins [plate 8] is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Coins [plate 8]

Jacques Callot , 1630

Coins [plate 8] is an ink print by the Baroque artist Jacques Callot. It dates from 1630 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Jacques Callot, a French printmaker active in the early seventeenth century, produced the etching titled *Coins* (plate 8) around 1630. Executed on laid paper, the work belongs to his extensive series of more than a thousand prints that document contemporary life and its material culture.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents a metal plate bearing rows of stamped coins, rendered with such precision that the pieces appear three‑dimensional. By focusing on a mundane object, Callot invites viewers to consider the everyday economic transactions that underpinned the social fabric of his era.

Technique & Style

Callot employed the etching process, incising lines into a copper plate and using acid to deepen the marks. The fine, controlled lines convey the texture of the raised metal and the subtle play of light on each coin, while the surrounding rough edges of the plate are suggested through delicate hatching.

History & Provenance

Created during Callot’s productive period in Lorraine, the print reflects his interest in detailed observation. Copies of the image are held in several major collections, including the National Gallery of Art in Washington, where it is displayed as part of the museum’s holdings of early modern prints.

Context

*Coins* fits within Callot’s broader oeuvre that often juxtaposes military, civic, and domestic subjects. His work stands out for its meticulous rendering of material objects, a practice that aligns with the Baroque fascination with realism and the burgeoning market for printed images in the seventeenth century.