Saint Martial c. 17th century

Curator: Here we have Jacques Callot’s "Saint Martial," a small etching, at just 7.6 by 4.9 centimeters, currently residing at the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: Oh, wow! It's giving me apocalyptic vibes – the sky's a mess, and that poor soul collapsed on the ground… almost feels like a scene from a play. Curator: Callot's technique is fascinating; he used repeated bitings to achieve tonal variation in the etching, essentially layering the acid to create depth and shadow. The lines almost feel frantic. Editor: Frantic is right! I wonder what story he’s trying to tell. Is Saint Martial calming the storm, or perhaps he’s just witnessing it all unfold? Curator: Callot often depicted religious and historical subjects, focusing on the social impact of events. Prints like this would have circulated widely, serving as both devotional images and records of cultural narratives. Editor: It's like capturing a fleeting moment in history… makes you think about how stories survive. Curator: Exactly. Even in its miniature scale, "Saint Martial" reflects the broader anxieties and beliefs of Callot's time. Editor: It makes me want to sit with it longer and make up my own narrative.