Saint John the Martyr

1608

Runs away from home to Rome

Secretly from his parents Jacques sets out on foot for Rome — according to legend, with wandering Romani; by one account he ran away twice and twice came back at his father’s demand, until his father finally consented to his studying in Italy.

1611

Studies etching with Tempesta in Florence

Having studied burin engraving in Rome with Philippe Thomassin, Callot moves to Florence, where he works with Antonio Tempesta, who teaches him the technique of line etching (by other accounts, he lived in Florence from 1612).

1614–1621

At the court of Cosimo II de’ Medici

Under Parigi’s direction Callot works at the court of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo II de’ Medici in the Uffizi, designing festivals and theatrical performances — later these give him themes for his series of grotesque prints; during his Florentine years he becomes an independent master and often works for the Medici.

1617

Switches to hard ground and repeated biting

From 1617 Callot uses, instead of the soft ground customary until then, the acid-resistant hard ground of Florentine joiners and furniture-makers; it allows the plate to be bitten repeatedly, with parts of the spatial planes successively covered by varnish, and gives broad tonal gradations; he is also credited with the échoppe, an etching needle with a slanted end that produces a swelling line.

1621

Returns to Nancy after the death of Cosimo II

After the death of Grand Duke Cosimo II de’ Medici, Callot responds to Duke Charles IV of Lorraine’s wish to see him at his court and returns to Lorraine, where he is received with flattering honours; staying in Nancy, he sends his prints all over Europe, and Rembrandt becomes a keen collector of them.

25 mars 1635

Died