Plate 1: a horse drawn cart carrying people and goods, dead horse in the foreground, from "Various Military Caprices" (Varii capricci militari)
Medium
Etching; third state of four
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 9/16 × 5 11/16 in. (9 × 14.5 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Grace M. Pugh, 1985
Accession Number
1986.1180.625
Tags
Art Historical Context
Stefano della Bella, a Italian etcher of the Baroque period, created *Plate 1: a horse drawn cart carrying people and, dead horse in the* around 1641 as part of his series *Various Military Caprices* (*Varii capricci militari This intimate etching (3 9/16 × 5 11/16 in.) captures a chaotic scene amid military turmoil: a laden cart pulled by weary horses trundles forward, burdened with figures and goods, while a fallen horse lies dramatically in the foreground. Della Bella's *capricci*—whimsical yet vivid vignettes—blend fantasy with the gritty realities of 17th-century warfare, reflecting the e...
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella|Pierre François Basan · 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...