Two horsemen dueling with pistols, one seen from behind riding towards the left, one riding towards right, from 'Various cavalry exercises' (Diverses exercices de cavalerie)
ca. 1642–45
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 7/16 x 2 11/16 in. (8.8 x 6.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.435.16
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the dynamic etching *Two Horsemen Dueling with Pistols*, from Stefano della Bella's series * Cavalry Exercises* (*Diverses exercices de cavie*), ca. 1642–45, we witness a thrilling moment of equestrian combat. One rider, viewed from behind, charges leftward pistol in hand, while his opponent hurtles right in a tense standoff. Published with Israël Henriet, this petite print (just 3 7/16 x 2 11/16 inches) captures the raw energy of 17th-century warfare through della Bella's masterful lines. Della Bella, a Florentine artist who flourished in Paris, was renowned for his intricate etchings of ...
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella|Israël Henriet · 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...