Plate 12: a cow drinking from a stone trough, other cows to left in background, from 'Diversi capricci'
ca. 1644–47
Medium
Etching; third state of four (De Vesme)
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/4 x 4 1/8 in. (8.3 x 10.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.428.18
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming etching by Stefano della Bella, Plate 12 from his series *Diversi capricci* (Various Caprices), captures a peaceful rural moment: a cow drinks from a stone trough while others graze quietly in the background. Created around 1644–47 during della Bella’s productive years in Paris, the small print measures just over three by four inches, showcasing the artist’s skill in rendering lively animal subjects with delicate precision. As the third state of four, it reflects the careful refinement typical of his printmaking process. Della Bella, a leading Italian etcher of the Baroque perio...
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella|Nicolas Langlois · 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...