Jacques CALLOT (1592 - 1635): Les Sacrifices : Le Culte de Dieu, Le Culte du Démon, Le Culte des Hommes - 1627

SOLD

Etching, 65 x 50 mm each. Lieure 570 to 572.

Very fine impressions printed on laid paper. Small margins around the oval compositions for two plates, one plate trimmed in the oval and glued on old laid paper. Le Culte du Démon is very slightly trimmed in the oval at the top and bottom.

Provenance: W. Bell Scott (1811 - 1890), English painter, engraver and author (Lugt 2607).

Rare complete series, marked RR by Lieure.

Lieure says he doesn't know the exact subject of this series, and quotes Mariette, who had already wondered about it: "Perhaps they express the worship given to God, the devil and men; for it was customary among the Romans for soldiers to adore the image of the emperor. I suddenly thought that these three pieces might relate to the pagan, Judaic and Christian religions, and I find that two of them do; but I don't know what the other subject represents; it's not, as I thought, Philo in the presence of Caligula". (Mariette, Notes manuscrites, quoted by Lieure, no. 570-572, translated by us).