Where can I see St. Thomas Aquin; St. Adrian and Companions; St. Frances; St. Macari?

St. Thomas Aquin; St. Adrian and Companions; St. Frances; St. Macari is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is St. Thomas Aquin; St. Adrian and Companions; St. Frances; St. Macari?

St. Thomas Aquin; St. Adrian and Companions; St. Frances; St. Macari is associated with Baroque.

Artwork

St. Thomas Aquin; St. Adrian and Companions; St. Frances; St. Macari

St. Thomas Aquin; St. Adrian and Companions; St. Frances; St. Macari 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

This etching on laid paper, created by Jacques Callot around 1634, presents four distinct oval compositions, each featuring a robed saint within a religious scene.

Subject & Meaning

The work depicts four saints: St. Thomas Aquinas (kneeling with a book and church), St. Adrian (a soldier lifting a cross with onlookers), St. Frances (a veiled woman with a candle and child), and St. Macari (a bishop-like figure holding a tall cross). These religious figures reflect Callot's penchant for blending sacred imagery with his broader artistic explorations of 17th-century life.

Technique & Style

Callot employed fine etching lines to achieve dramatic shadows and textures across the four scenes, characteristic of his detailed and expressive printmaking style.

History & Provenance

Created circa 1634 by Jacques Callot, a prolific French baroque printmaker from Lorraine, this etching is part of his extensive oeuvre of over 1,400 works, which spanned religious, military, courtly, and landscape themes.

Context

This piece exemplifies Callot's contribution to the evolution of old master printmaking, situating religious subjects within his diverse output that mirrored the societal spectrum of his time.

Legacy

As part of Callot's vast and varied etchings, this work contributes to his lasting impact on the development of printmaking techniques and the representation of 17th-century European life and devotion.