Frontispiece for Saltero
ca. 1633
Medium
Etching
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1967
Accession Number
67.689.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Stefano della Bella, a Italian etcher of the Baroque era (1610–1664), created this *Frontispiece for Sal* around 1633, early in his prolific career under Medici patronage in Florence. As a frontispiece—an ornamental illustration gracing the opening of a book, likely a *saltero* or psalter (book of psalms)—it exemplifies the period's fusion of religious devotion and artistic virtuosity. Della Bella's etchings, prized for their intricate line work and dynamic compositions, bridged painting and printmaking, making fine art accessible through reproductions. The composition weaves Christian iconog...
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...