Les Grandes Misères is the title by which the series of etchings conceived and engraved by Jacques Callot is commonly known,

"Les Misères et les Malheurs de la guerre",

Nr. 16 sheets printed from etched plate - no. 1 "Door opener" and nr. 18 " The distribution of rewards".

Series of etching prints (in the complete series there are 18 sheets, the first is the door opener) designed and engraved by Jacques Callot, published in Paris by Israël Henriet in 1633 . Made during the Thirty Years War from an independent project by Jacques Callot.

This series, unfortunately incomplete, shows a rare quality of the printing ink that places them among the first prints made from the plate of the second version * (in all three versions of the same were made by the author).

Accompanied by a moralizing poem, divided into three couplets in kissed rhymes for each table. The texts are traditionally attributed to the abbot of Villeloin Michel de Marolles although there is no concrete evidence of the attribution.

The conservation conditions of these engravings are excellent, the images perfectly legible, never restored, despite some signs of aging and wear of the paper (as shown in the photographs).

The printing plates measure between 80 and 83 mm for 183/188 each.

* Three states of the engravings of the Grandes are known , the variations between these do not however concern the treatment of the figures: in the second state the lines and the progressive number were added and in the third state the signature from Israel ex was corrected. Cum Regis privilege   to Callot inv. et fec. except in the last one which became Callot fecit Israel excudit. (from wikipedia).