Jacques Callot, Original engraving: Entry of the Prince of Pfaltzbourg, Court Spectacle in Nancy, 1627

XVII century original Engraving by Jacques Callot (1592–1635), recording one of the most dazzling court spectacles of the seventeenth century. On 14 February 1627, Duke Charles IV of Lorraine staged in Nancy a magnificent pageant in honor of his favorite, the Duchesse de Chevreuse.

The event combined theatre, allegory, and tournament. Known as the Combat à la Barrière, it unfolded as a lavish sequence of triumphal entries and mock battles. Each courtier appeared on an elaborate allegorical chariot, impersonating mythological or symbolic figures. Contemporary descriptions mention courtiers dressed as Jason or “Pirandre,” while the Duke himself appeared in the role of the Sun. The Prince of Pfaltzbourg, Louis de Lorraine, made his entry surrounded by soldiers, musicians, torches, and winged figures — a true explosion of Baroque fantasy.

Callot, master engraver of Lorraine, captured this ephemeral spectacle with precision and energy, turning a fleeting theatrical event into a lasting work of art. His fine etching lines convey both the richness of the allegories and the exuberance of the ducal court.

The sheet measures about 24 × 16 cm, printed on antique laid paper. Clearly visible in the sheet is a seventeenth-century watermark with two interlaced C’s surmounted by a crown, a mark that corresponds to the original seventeenth-century tirage. The impression is reinforced with a traditional paper backing; margins are trimmed and the sheet shows light spots of age, but the print retains strong presence and authenticity.

Comparable impressions are preserved in the British Museum in London, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Louvre in Paris, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington.