Saint Thaddeus c. 17th century

Editor: This is Jacques Callot’s "Saint Thaddeus", a striking etching. The stark lines create a powerful image, especially the saint holding that rather large axe! What stands out to you? Curator: I notice the clear labor involved in the etching process. Callot's mastery over the burin allowed for detailed representations, yet the medium itself imposes constraints. The choice of etching, a relatively reproducible method, speaks to a wider distribution and perhaps democratization of religious imagery. Editor: That's a great point about reproducibility! I hadn't considered that angle. Thanks! Curator: Indeed! Considering the materiality changes how we look at it.