Pluto, from 'Game of Mythology' (Jeu de la Mythologie)
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 1 15/16 x 2 1/4 in. (4.9 x 5.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.811.17
Tags
Art Historical Context
Stefano della Bella, a 17th-century Italiancher active in Florence and Paris, created this intimate etching of *Pluto from 'Game of Myth' (Jeu de la Mythologie)* in 1644. Part of a whimsical series inspired by playing cards, it depicts the Roman god of underworld—ruler of the dead and lord of hidden wealth—in a dynamic Baroque pose, surrounded by infernal motifs. Della Bella's Baroque style shines through in the intricate details crammed into this tiny sheet (just under 2 x 2 1/4 inches), capturing the era's fascination with classical mythology amid Europe's opulent courts. Etching, della Bel...
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...