A woman in profile pulling back on a rope tied around the horns of a young bull
ca. 1660
Medium
Etching; first state of two
Dimensions
Sheet: 6 5/16 x 5 7/8 in. (16 x 15 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.804
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this delicate etching from around 1660, Stefano della Bella captures a poised woman in strict profile, exerting control as she pulls back on a rope looped around the horns of a young bull. The first state of two impressions, this print showcases the raw intricacy of the artist's preliminary lines before any revisions, offering a rare glimpse into his creative process. Della Bella, a masterful 17th-century Italian printmaker associated with the Baroque era, was renowned for his fluid etchings that blended meticulous detail with atmospheric depth, often drawing from everyday life, mythology, ...
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella · 1610–1664
Stefano della Bella (1610-1664) was one of the most prolific and versatile printmakers of the Italian Baroque period, leaving behind 1,052 prints and several thousand drawings that captured the vivid essence of 17th-century European life. Born in Florence on May 18, 1610, to a family of artists, he trained initially as a goldsmith before studying painting under Cesare Dandini and etching under Rem...