Twenty-four riders dueling and forming two columns, from 'La Gara delle Stagioni'
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 8 5/8 x 12 in. (21.9 x 30.5 cm) Mat: 13 1/2 x 17 3/16 in. (34.3 x 43.7 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
2012.136.531.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Stefano della Bella, a 17th-century Italiancher, created *Twenty-four riders dueling forming two columns* in 1652 as part of his series *La Gara delleagioni* (The of the Seasons). This etching captures a thrilling equestrian spectacle, where two columns of armored riders clash in a mock battle, their horses rearing amid flashing swords and lances. Della Bella, who trained in Florence and worked in Paris, delighted in such elaborate scenes of tournaments and festivals, reflecting the Baroque era's fascination with movement, grandeur, and chivalric display. Printed on a modest sheet of 8 5/8 x ...
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...