Christ in Limbo

c. 1631

Jacques Callot

Associated Names
Jacques Callot

Artist, French, 1592 - 1635

This is a drawing of figures in a dark cave-like setting. An ethereal figure, enveloped in light with a halo, extends a hand toward a group of skeletal and pleading figures emerging from what appears to be a tomb or underworld. Above them, another figure with wings appears to be descending or floating in an open sky. The detailed linework emphasizes the contrast between light and shadow, suggesting a narrative of salvation or deliverance. The mood is dramatic and filled with movement, capturing the atmosphere of the scene.

Media Options

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Artwork overview

  • Medium

    etching on laid paper

  • Credit Line

    R.L. Baumfeld Collection

  • Dimensions

    sheet (trimmed to plate mark): 3.5 × 3.6 cm (1 3/8 × 1 7/16 in.)

  • Accession Number

    1969.15.869

  • Catalogue Raisonné

    Lieure, no. 690, State ii/ii

Artwork history & notes

Bibliography

1924

  • Lieure, J. Jacques Callot. 5 vols. Paris: Editions de la Gazette des Beaux Arts, 1924-1927. Reprint. 8 vols. New York: Collectors' Editions, 1969.

Wikidata ID

Q65509777

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