Two Horse Heads Framing a Shield
ca. 1653
Medium
Etching; state ii
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Grace M. Pugh, 1985
Accession Number
1986.1180.654
Tags
Art Historical Context
Stefano della Bella, a masterful 17th-century Italian etcher from Florence, created *Two Horse Heads Framing a* around 1653, during his mature period after working in Paris and returning to Italy. This intricate etching captures a dynamic heraldic motif: fierce horse heads flank a central shield, evoking the grandeur of Baroque ornamentation. Della Bella, influenced by his mentor Jacques Callot, specialized in detailed prints of battles, festivals, and equestrian scenes, blending realism with decorative flair. As an etching in its second state (state ii), the work showcases the artist's virtu...
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...