s3e22 on running The Gallery at The Met Store with Laura Einstein

03/28/23 • 56 min

Platemark: prints and the printmaking ecosystem

In Platemark s3e22, host Ann Shafer talks with Laura Einstein, manager of the Gallery at the Met Store. Tucked away on the mezzanine of the bookstore at the Metropolitan Museum of Art is a gallery space where limited edition, fine art prints are available for purchase. The Gallery (formerly known as the Mezzanine Gallery) has been a somewhat hidden gem at the Met since opening in the 1970s. Really affordable, wonderful prints are selected by Laura who always has time to talk shop with artist, buyers, students, and scholars. Make it a must-see on your next visit to the Met. Best to make an appointment to be sure Laura is available.

Previous Episode

s2e25 History of Prints Jacques Callot (part one)

In s2e25, hosts Ann Shafer and Tru Ludwig take an in-depth look at Jacques Callot, who is the first printmaker in Western art to record the atrocities of war. He heads up any list of artists using prints to spread news far and wide about societal ills through visual means. He created some 1,400 prints in his career (no paintings !) and made some of the most remarkable and smallest prints ever. This is a first half of a longer conversation. Stay tuned for part two.

Episode image: [DETAIL] Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). The Fan, 1619. Etching and engraving. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 44.3 x 33.9 cm. (17 3/8 x 13 3/8 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

Peter Paul Rubens’ portraits of Marie de’ Medici (1622–24) in the Richelieu wing of the Louvre. By Ivo Jansch - Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7920324

Francisco Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828). Saturn Devouring His Son, c. 1819–23. Mixed media mural transferred to canvas. 143.5 x 81.4 cm. (56 1⁄2 x 32 in.). Museum del Prado, Madrid.

Anthony van Dyck (1599–1641). Jacobus Callot, c. late 1600s–early 1700s. Engraving. Sheet (trimmed within platemark): 23.5 x 16.2 cm (9 1⁄4 x 6 3/8 in.). Masterworks Fine Art, Palo Alto, CA.

Christoffel Jegher (Flemish, 1596–1652/53) after Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640). Hercules Triumphant over Discord, 1633–34. Woodcut. Sheet: 23 3/4 x 14 7/16 in. (60.33 x 36.67 cm.). Minneapolis Institute of Art, Minneapolis.

Niccolò della Casa (French, active Italy, c. 1543–48). Portrait of Cosimo de' Medici in full armor, 1544. Engraving. Sheet: 17 1/8 in. × 12 in. (435 × 305 mm.); plate: 16 13/16 × 11 9/16 in. (427 × 294 mm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Laocoön and His Sons, c. 200 BCE–70 CE. Marble. 208 × 163 × 112 cm. (6’ 10 » × 5’ 4 » × 3’ 8 »). Vatican Museums, Vatican City.

Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640). The Garden of Love, 1630–35. Oil on canvas. 199 x 286 cm. Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640). The Consequences of War, 1637–38. Oil on canvas mounted to panel. 206 x 342 cm. (81 x 134 1⁄2 in.). Palazzo Pitti, Florence.

Sir Anthony van Dyck (Flemish, 1599–1641). Lucas Vorsterman, from the series Iconography, 1628–32. Etching and engraving. Sheet (trimmed to platemark): 9 5/8 × 6 3/16 in. (24.4 × 15.7 cm). Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Compare engraving and etching

Eschoppe tool with ovoid tip. Photo: London Fine Art Studio.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). The Fan, 1619. Etching and engraving. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 44.3 x 33.9 cm. (17 3/8 x 13 3/8 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

[DETAIL] Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). The Fan, 1619. Etching and engraving. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 44.3 x 33.9 cm. (17 3/8 x 13 3/8 in.). National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.

ZOOM IN https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.51537.html

[DETAIL] Rembrandt (Dutch, 1606–1669). Presentation in the Temple, c. 1640. Etching and drypoint. Sheet: 218 × 296 mm. (8 9/16 × 11 5/8 in.); plate: 213 × 290 mm. (8 3/8 × 11 7/16 in.). Baltimore Museum of Art, Baltimore.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Noble Coats of Arms, c. 1612–35. Etching. Sheet: 302 x 227 mm. (11 9/10 x 8 9/10 in. Artsy.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). The Fair at Impruneta, after 1619. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 418 x 670 mm. Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

[DETAIL] Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). The Fair at Impruneta, after 1619. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 418 x 670 mm. Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris.

Rembrandt (Dutch, 1606–1669). The Three Trees, 1643. Etching, engra...

Next Episode

s2e26 History of Prints Jacques Callot (part two)

In s2e26, hosts Ann Shafer and Tru Ludwig conclude their conversation about Jacques Callot, where there is always more than meets the eye. He's of interest for many reasons, including his practice of making faster-to-create etchings look like more-time-consuming engravings using his éschoppe. He is the first printmaker in Western art to record the atrocities of war. He heads up any list of artists in the history of prints using them to spread news far and wide about societal ills through visual means.

He created some 1,400 prints in his career (no paintings!) and made some of the most remarkable and smallest prints ever. This is the second half of the conversation. If you skipped Platemark s2e25, you might go back and listen to it before starting this one.

Episode image: Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Frontispiece from the series The Beggars, c. 1623. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 5 7/16 x 3 7/16 in. (13.8 x 8.8 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Balli di Sfessania, c. 1622. Series of 24 etchings. Sheet (each, trimmed near platemark): 2 15/16 × 3 3/4 in. (7.5 × 9.6 cm.). Dorotheum.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Cap. Cerimonia – Sig. Lauvinia from Balli di Sfessania, c. 1622. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 2 15/16 × 3 3/4 in. (7.5 × 9.6 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Cap. Cardoni – Maramao from Balli di Sfessania, c. 1622. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 2 15/16 × 3 3/4 in. (7.5 × 9.6 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Smaraolo cornuto – Rarsa di Boio from Balli di Sfessania, c. 1622. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 2 15/16 × 3 3/4 in. (7.5 × 9.6 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Taglia Cantoni – Fracasso from Balli di Sfessania, c. 1622. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 2 15/16 × 3 3/4 in. (7.5 × 9.6 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Sig. Lucia – Trastullo from Balli di Sfessania, c. 1622. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 2 15/16 × 3 3/4 in. (7.5 × 9.6 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Razullo – Cucurucu from Balli di Sfessania, c. 1622. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 2 15/16 × 3 3/4 in. (7.5 × 9.6 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Frontispiece from Balli di Sfessania, c. 1622. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 2 15/16 × 3 3/4 in. (7.5 × 9.6 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Francisco Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828). Plate 58 from Los Caprichos : Swallow it, dog (Tragala perro), 1799. Etching, aquatint, and drypoint. Plate: 8 7/16 × 5 15/16 in. (21.5 × 15.1 cm); sheet: 11 5/8 x 8 1/4 in. (29.5 x 20.9 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Diego Velázquez (Spanish, 1599–1660). Las Meninas, 1656. Oil on canvas. 10’ 5” x 9’ 5” in. Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Frontispiece from the series The Beggars, c. 1623. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 5 7/16 x 3 7/16 in. (13.8 x 8.8 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). The Beggar with Crutches and Pouch from the series The Beggars, c. 1623. Etching. Sheet: 5 9/16 x 3 9/16 in. (14.2 x 9 cm.); plate: 5 7/16 x 3 7/16 in. (13.8 x 8.7 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). The Old Woman with Cats from the series The Beggars, c. 1623. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 5 7/16 x 3 7/16 in. (13.8 x 8.8 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). The Sickly Man from the series The Beggars, c. 1623. Etching. Sheet (trimmed near platemark): 5 7/16 x 3 1/2 in. (13.8 x 8.9 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). The Beggar with Rosary from the series The Beggars, c. 1623. Etching. Sheet: 5 9/16 x 3 9/16 in. (14.2 x 9 cm.); plate: 5 7/16 x 3 7/16 in. (13.8 x 8.8 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Rembrandt (Dutch, 1606–1669). Beggars Receiving Alms at the Door of a House, 1648. Etching, engraving, and drypoint. Sheet (trimmed to platemark): 6 5/8 × 4 1/2 in. (16.8 × 11.5 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Jacques Callot (French, 1592–1635). Frontispiece from the series The Large Miseries and Misfortunes of War, 1633. Etching. Sheet: 4 1/2 x 8 9/16 in. (11.5 x 21.7 cm.); plate: 3 9/16 x 7 1/2 in. (9 x 1...