(James), a celebrated engraver born at Nancy in 1593. In his youth he travelled to Rome to learn designing and engraving; and from thence went to Florence, where the grand duke took him into his service. After the death of that prince, Callot returned to his native country; when he was very favourably received by Henry duke of Lorraine, who settled a considerable pension upon him. His reputation being soon after spread all over Europe, the infant of the Netherlands drew him to Brussels, where he engraved the siege of Breda. Louis XIII. made him design the siege of Rochelle, and that of the isle of Rie. The French king, having taken Nancy in 1631, made Callot the propofal of representing that new conquest, as he had already done the taking of Rochelle: but Callot begged to be excused; and some courtiers refusing to oblige him to do it, he answered, that he would sooner cut off his thumb than do anything against the honour of his prince and country. This excuse the king accepted; and said, that the duke of Lorraine was happy in having such faithful and affectionate subjects. Callot followed his benefices so closely, that, though he died at 43 years of age, he is said to have left of his own own execution about 1500 pieces. The following are a few of the principal. 1. The murder of the innocents, a small oval plate, engraved at Florence. Callot engraved the same subject at Nancy, with some difference in the figures on the back-ground. The former is the most rare; a fine impression of it is very difficult to be found.

2. The marriage of Cana in Galilee, from Paolo Veronese, a middling-sized plate lengthwise. 3. The passion of Christ, on twelve very small upright plates; first impressions very scarce. 4. St John in the island of Palma, a small plate, nearly square. 5. The temptation of St Anthony, a middling-sized plate, lengthwise. He also engraved the same subject larger; which, though not the best, is notwithstanding the rarest print. There is a considerable difference in the treatment of the subject in the two prints. 6. The punishments, wherein is seen the execution of several criminals. The marks of the best impressions of this plate are, a small square tower which appears above the houses, towards the left, and a very small image of the Virgin placed in an angle of the wall, near the middle of the print. 7. The mysteries of war, eighteen small plates, lengthwise. There is another set on the same subject, consisting of seven plates less than the former. 8. The great fair of Florence, so called because it was engraved at Florence. As several parts of this plate were not equally bitten by the aquafortis, it is difficult to meet with a fine impression. Callot, on his return to Nancy, re-engraved this plate without any alteration. The copy, however, is by no means equal to the original. The first is distinguished from the second by the words in Firenze, which appear below at the right hand corner of the plate. The second has these words in the same place, Fe Florentiae, & excudit Nancii. There is also a large copy of this print, reversed, published by Savery; but the difference is easily distinguished between it and the true print. 9. The little fair, otherwise called the players at bowls; where also some peasants are represented dancing. This is one of the rarest of Callot's prints; and it is very difficult to meet with a fine impression of it, for the distances and other parts of the plate failed in the biting it with the aquafortis. 10. The tilting, or the new street at Nancy, a middling-sized plate, lengthwise. 11. The Garden of Nancy, where young men are playing with a balloon, the same. 12. View of the Port Neuf, a small plate, lengthwise. 13. View of the Louvre, the same. 14. Four landscapes, small plates, lengthwise.