Saint Lazarus c. 17th century

Curator: This is Jacques Callot’s small yet powerful print, “Saint Lazarus.” The scene depicts Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Editor: The composition is immediately striking. The use of line creates such dramatic tension, and the emaciated figure of Lazarus really pulls at something primal within me. Curator: The imagery is rich with symbolism. Lazarus represents not only resurrection but also social outcasts, those marginalized by society. Callot, living through times of war and plague, often depicted the suffering of the common person. Editor: And the radiant halo around Jesus, contrasted with the shadowed figures surrounding Lazarus, amplifies the visual language of hope and despair, doesn’t it? It is almost as if this piece shows how marginalized people can be resurrected with a little bit of hope. Curator: Precisely. It’s an image deeply entrenched in religious narrative, yet it mirrors broader themes of marginalization, hope, and social reform that still resonate today. Editor: It makes you ponder on the weight of cultural symbols and their enduring power, even within this tiny frame.