Who painted St. Liverius; St. Saturninus; St. Joscion; St. Andrew?

St. Liverius; St. Saturninus; St. Joscion; St. Andrew was painted by Jacques Callot in 1634.

Where can I see St. Liverius; St. Saturninus; St. Joscion; St. Andrew?

St. Liverius; St. Saturninus; St. Joscion; St. Andrew is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is St. Liverius; St. Saturninus; St. Joscion; St. Andrew?

St. Liverius; St. Saturninus; St. Joscion; St. Andrew is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

St. Liverius; St. Saturninus; St. Joscion; St. Andrew

Jacques Callot , 1634

St. Liverius; St. Saturninus; St. Joscion; St. Andrew 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

Created circa 1634 by the French printmaker Jacques Callot, this work consists of four oval etchings on laid paper, each identified with the name of a saint—Liverius, Saturninus, Joscion and Andrew. The images are set in a simple grid, their dark lines contrasting with a light beige ground, and together they present a formal grouping of religious figures typical of Callot’s baroque output.

Subject & Meaning

Each oval portrays a distinct saint in a narrative pose: a armored figure, a bull before a building, a man reclined on a table, and a figure with outstretched arms. The selection of saints and their varied activities suggest a didactic purpose, offering visual exemplars of martyrdom, virtue, and divine intervention within a compact devotional format.

Technique & Style

The print is executed in etching, a process in which Callot incised lines into a copper plate before transferring the image onto laid paper. His characteristic fine, precise line work renders intricate details—armor, animal texture, and architectural elements—while the oval format and balanced composition reflect the baroque interest in dynamic yet orderly presentation.

History & Provenance

Part of Callot’s extensive oeuvre of more than 1,400 prints, this set was likely produced for a private collector or devotional use in the mid‑17th century. Surviving copies are documented in several European museum collections, indicating the work’s circulation among connoisseurs of religious prints during and after Callot’s lifetime.

Context

The series emerges from the broader baroque milieu in which religious imagery served both liturgical and didactic functions. Callot, operating from the Duchy of Lorraine, combined his keen observational skill—evident in his military and genre scenes—with traditional sacred subjects, thereby bridging contemporary realism and established devotional iconography.