Fifth scene, the Inferno, from 'The marriage of the gods' (Le nozze degli Dei)
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 15/16 x 11 1/2 in. (20.2 x 29.2 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.558.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Stefano della Bella, a masterful 17th-century Italiancher known for his intricate Baroque compositions, created this vivid etching in 1637 as the fifth scene from his series *Le Nozze degli Dei* ( Marriage of the Gods). Drawing from classical mythology—likely evoking the tumultuous wedding of Peleus Thetis, which sparked chaos among gods and creatures—this print plunges viewers into "the Inferno," a fiery underworld teeming with centaurs. Della Bella's time in Florence and Paris honed his dynamic style, blending Northern European precision (influenced by Rembrandt) with Italian ornamentation. ...
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...