Wilson College Showcases Centuries of Protest Art in New Exhibition

Wilson College will open a new art exhibition titled “Jacques Callot and Those Who Came After” on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 4:30 p.m. in the first-floor gallery of the John Stewart Memorial Library. The exhibition will run through the spring semester. 

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The show features 18 etchings that make up Jacques Callot’s masterpiece, Les Grandes Misères de la Guerre (1633), or The Miseries and Misfortunes of War. This series is considered the first anti-war statement in Western art.

Curated by Adam DelMarcelle, assistant professor of graphic design, the exhibition was a collaborative effort by Wilson College students during the fall 2025 semester. Students in the Western Art History 1000–1800 course undertook the research and writing, while the Graphic Design II class developed the exhibition’s visual language and way-finding system, enhancing the experience of the powerful work and artifacts. Students in the Typography and the Letterform class built the catalog, and digital photography students contributed striking photographic elements that elevate the artifacts displayed alongside works by Callot, Francisco Goya, Otto Dix, and Ernst Barlach.

“Interdisciplinary thinking and collaboration lie at the very heart of a liberal arts education, and throughout the months of preparation leading up to the opening, this remarkable group of students embodied the very best of what can happen in the classroom—when learning is guided and considered by openness, curiosity, and a touch of romance. To say I am proud of them would be an understatement,” said DelMarcelle.

Callot’s influence spans centuries, inspiring artists such as Goya, Dix, and Barlach to confront the same haunting questions about why humans go to war. This exhibition traces the lineage of protest through printed images, reminding viewers that in the darkest hours, the artist bears witness. It also reflects the collaboration behind its creation, bringing together a multidisciplinary group of students from diverse backgrounds to create an experience that is both rich and nuanced.