This etching is part of The Miseries and Misfortunes of War series, a collection of etchings created by Jacques Callot during the Thirty Years War (1618–1648), a religious conflict that involved the major powers in Europe and led to mass carnage and the destruction of several European towns In Pillage of a Farm, chaos dominates the scene as women run to escape the clutches of renegade soldiers no longer restrained by their military vows. This etching is accompanied by a poetic verse that recounts the horrors unfolding in the beautifully rendered image. To achieve such intricate detail, the artist covered the metal printing plate with a hard, stable material and etched out the composition using a special oval-pointed tool. This allowed him to vary the size and character of each line, producing a delicate, elegant style that is at odds with the violent scenes portrayed.

Adapted from

Nicole Myers, DMA label copy, 2018.

• The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
  Read a biography of Jacques Callot.