Who painted St. Aurea; St. Bartholomew; St. Louis; St. Genesius?

St. Aurea; St. Bartholomew; St. Louis; St. Genesius was painted by Jacques Callot in 1634.

Where can I see St. Aurea; St. Bartholomew; St. Louis; St. Genesius?

St. Aurea; St. Bartholomew; St. Louis; St. Genesius is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is St. Aurea; St. Bartholomew; St. Louis; St. Genesius?

St. Aurea; St. Bartholomew; St. Louis; St. Genesius is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

St. Aurea; St. Bartholomew; St. Louis; St. Genesius

Jacques Callot , 1634

St. Aurea; St. Bartholomew; St. Louis; St. Genesius 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. Created circa 1634, this etching on laid paper presents four distinct vignettes, each identified with a saint’s name and the month August.

About this work

Overview

Created circa 1634, this etching on laid paper presents four distinct vignettes, each identified with a saint’s name and the month August. The compositions are arranged in a grid of four windows, each rendered with precise line work and dense cross‑hatching that defines form and space.

Subject & Meaning

Each panel portrays a different saintly episode: a kneeling woman by a river accompanied by a soldier, a bound figure with a sword held aloft, a robed individual standing in a doorway with a staff, and a man being seized by angels while onlookers observe. The scenes convey themes of martyrdom, divine intervention, and piety.

Technique & Style

The print exemplifies Callot’s mastery of etching, employing fine incised lines and extensive cross‑hatching to model volume and texture. The figures are set against expansive, lightly indicated landscapes, a characteristic approach that balances narrative detail with atmospheric depth.

History & Provenance

Jacques Callot, a French printmaker from the Duchy of Lorraine, produced this work during the Baroque era, a period when religious subjects were common in his output. The piece belongs to a larger corpus of over 1,400 etchings documenting contemporary life, military scenes, courtly events, and devotional imagery.

Context

In the early seventeenth century, printmaking served both as a means of disseminating religious iconography and as a vehicle for artists to explore narrative complexity. Callot’s integration of multiple saintly narratives within a single sheet reflects the period’s interest in didactic visual storytelling.