Polish Groom Bathing Horses
ca. 1662
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 1/16 × 4 15/16 in. (7.7 × 12.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1949, by exchange
Accession Number
68.741.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the bustling world of 17th-century European printmaking, Stefano della's *Polish Groom Bathing Horses*ca. 1662) captures a vivid slice of everyday life with exquisite detail. This etching, measuring just 3 1/16 × 4 15/16 inches, showcases della Bella's mastery of the. A leading Italian artist of the Baroque era, he trained under Jacques Callot and became renowned for his intricate, small-scale prints that rivaled paintings in precision. Etching allowed him to render fine lines and textures effortlessly, making his works accessible yet collectible across Europe. The scene depicts a Polish g...
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...