Who painted Lady with Large Plumes, and Two Gentlemen?

Lady with Large Plumes, and Two Gentlemen was painted by Jacques Callot in 1634.

Where can I see Lady with Large Plumes, and Two Gentlemen?

Lady with Large Plumes, and Two Gentlemen is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Lady with Large Plumes, and Two Gentlemen?

Lady with Large Plumes, and Two Gentlemen is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

Lady with Large Plumes, and Two Gentlemen

Jacques Callot , 1634

Lady with Large Plumes, and Two Gentlemen is an ink print by the Baroque artist Jacques Callot. It dates from 1634 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

Overview

Jacques Callot’s etching titled *Lady with Large Plumes, and Two Gentlemen* dates from around 1634. Executed on laid paper, the work presents a formally dressed woman with an oversized feathered plume, flanked by two men in hats and coats. The figures stand before an unadorned background, emphasizing their attire and posture rather than a narrative setting.

Subject & Meaning

The central female figure is shown holding a fan, her long coat and prominent plume suggesting a fashionable courtly presence. The two accompanying gentlemen, similarly attired, reinforce a scene of social display, likely reflecting contemporary notions of status, elegance, and the performative aspects of dress in early‑17th‑century aristocratic circles.

Technique & Style

Callot employed the etching process, incising lines into a copper plate with a needle before acid exposure, then printing onto laid paper. His handling of line creates fine detail in the clothing’s folds and the plume’s texture, while the relatively flat background allows the figures to emerge with clarity, characteristic of his precise, baroque draftsmanship.

History & Provenance

A native of the Duchy of Lorraine, Callot was a prolific printmaker, producing more than 1,400 etchings that documented the life and dress of his era. This particular image belongs to his broader series of genre prints that capture soldiers, courtiers, and other social types, illustrating his sustained interest in the visual culture of the early modern period.