Galileo and personifications of Astronomy, Perspective and Mathematics, frontispiece for 'Opere di Galileo Galilei'
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed to plate): 8 5/16 in. × 6 in. (21.1 × 15.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1951 by exchange
Accession Number
68.746
Tags
Art Historical Context
This intricate etching, created by the renowned Italian printmaker Stefano Bella in 1656, serves as the frontisp for *Opere di Galilei*, the collected works of the pioneering astronomer and physicist Galileo Galilei. At its center stands Galileo, flanked by elegant female personifications of Astronomy, Perspective, and Mathematics—classical allegorical figures symbolizing the intertwined disciplines that defined his revolutionary contributions to science. The composition captures the intellectual fervor of the 17th century, portraiture with symbolic grandeur to honor Galileo's legacy. Della B...
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella|Galileo Galilei · 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...