Plate 12: a shepherd sleeping on the ground to right, three horses to left, other horses and various figures to right, the Baths of Diocletian in the background, a round composition, from 'Roman landscapes and ruins' (Paysages et ruines de Rome)
ca. 1643–48
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 5 3/8 x 5 1/2 in. (13.6 x 13.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.551.3
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this enchanting etching, Plate 12 from Stefano della Bella's series * Landscapes and Ruins* (*Paysages et ruines de Rome*), created around 1643–48, a shepherd dozes peacefully on the ground the right, while three horses graze to the left. Additional horses and figures bustle to the right, all framed against the majestic ruins of the Baths of Dioclet in the background. The circular composition draws the eye into a harmonious blend of pastoral idyll and ancient grandeur,oking the timeless allure of Rome. Stefano della Bella, a masterful Italian etcher active in Paris, collaborated with publi...
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella|François 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...