Man with a Large Belly Decorated with a Row of Buttons 1616

Editor: So, this etching is called "Man with a Large Belly Decorated with a Row of Buttons," by Jacques Callot. It's really tiny, just a few inches! The lines are so precise, but the overall effect is… well, kind of absurd. What do you make of it? Curator: Absurdity is a great starting point. Callot had a knack for capturing the grotesque, the comical, the fringes of society. The exaggerated belly, practically a sphere, is almost a world of its own. I imagine Callot chuckled to himself while etching those buttons, a decorative, almost defiant, celebration of excess. It’s like he’s daring us to laugh, or perhaps… to reflect. What do you think the artist wanted to convey? Editor: It seems like Callot had a sense of humor! I appreciate how you pointed out the defiance. Curator: Exactly! And maybe a bit of ourselves as well.