Seven vases, the vase in the middle decorated with the face of Medusa, Plate 1 from "Collection of Various Vases" (Raccolta di Vasi Diversi)
ca. 1650–56
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 3/4 × 7 9/16 in. (9.5 × 19.2 cm)
Classification
Prints|Ornament & Architecture
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.99.1
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the elegant world of 17th-century prints with *Seven Vases, the Vase the Middle Decorated with the Face of Medusa*, Plate 1 from Stefano della Bella's *Collection of Various Vases*Raccolta di V Diversi*), published around 1650–56 by François Langlois. This etching, measuring just 3 3/4 × 7 9/16 inches, captures seven intricately designed vases arranged in a rhythmic composition. Della Bella, a masterful Italian Baroque printmaker, was celebrated for his fine-line technique, which allowed him to render elaborate motifs with remarkable clarity and depth on a small scale. At the center...
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...