The Two Pantaloons Turning their Back, from The Caprices

The Two Pantaloons Turning their Back, from The Caprices — Jacques Callot. c. 1622.

Medium: Etching in black on ivory laid paper. Dimensions: Image/plate: 5.5 × 8 cm (2 3/16 × 3 3/16 in.); Sheet: 8 × 11.1 cm (3 3/16 × 4 3/8 in.).

Collection record: Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago. Museum connection according to this source; current display unverified.

In the 17th century, the word capriccio generally indicated a musical composition that thwarted listeners’ expectations with sudden changes in tempo, rhythm, or structure that appeared to be made according to the performer’s whim, or caprice. Jacques Callot borrowed the term to describe a series of etchings with a wide variety of diverting subjects including peasants, architectural sites, military maneuvers, and musicians. Among other motifs, he depicted two pairs of dancers frolicking and playing musical instruments and a shepherd playing a flute.

Description: © Art Institute of Chicago, original record, CC BY 4.0. HTML formatting removed; wording retained. Other artwork metadata: CC0.

Source: official collection record. Metadata selected and normalized by Artline from the source export, accessed 10 September 2026; no museum endorsement. Reproduction rights are separate.