Horsemen and Soldiers
1610–64
Medium
Pen and brown ink
Dimensions
3 1/2 x 5 1/2in. (8.9 x 14cm)
Classification
Drawings
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Walter Lowry, 1957
Accession Number
57.32.5
Tags
Art Historical Context
Stefano della Bella's *Horsemen and Soldiers*, a delicate pen and brown ink drawing from his active years (1610–1664), captures the dynamic energy of military life in 17th-century Europe. Measuring just 3½ x 5½ inches, this intimate sketch likely served as a study for the artist's renowned etchings, showcasing his mastery of fluid lines and intricate detail. The composition buzzes with movement—soldiers and mounted warriors in action—evoking the turmoil of the era's conflicts, such as the Thirty Years' War, though della Bella often drew from imagination and observation alike. A leading Floren...
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...