Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 1 Man playing hurdy gurdy and singing, boy playing triangle and singing 1644-47 etching Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Stefano della Bella (1610-1664) often published his etchings in series. These might be sold either individually or in complete portfolios. The series called Diversi capricci was published in Paris in the middle 1640s. In della Bella's work, as in that of his contemporary Rembrandt, poor people (and animals) received the same careful, curious, idiosyncratic and unsentimental scrutiny as the rich.
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 2 Two girls walking together past a ruin 1644-47 etching Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 5 Barefoot peasant on horseback fording a stream 1644-47 etching Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 7 Two horses ascending the bank of a river 1644-47 etching Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 11 Young horseman leading another horse 1644-47 etching Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 14 Peasant woman and child on horseback, another woman walking 1644-47 etching Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 15 Polish nobleman holding his horse 1644-47 etching Metropolitan Museum of Art |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 16 Elephant with attendant 1644-47 etching British Museum |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 17 Man with plumed hat facing right, woman walking left 1644-47 etching British Museum |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 18 Noblewoman with feathered fan walking left, another walking right 1644-47 etching British Museum |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 19 Polish nobleman in court dress, with another in background 1644-47 etching British Museum |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 20 Old Polish nobleman in plumed hat, another in background 1644-47 etching British Museum |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 21 Peasant woman walking left, with child in shawl 1644-47 etching British Museum |
Stefano della Bella Diversi capricci, plate 22 Peasant woman walking left, with three children 1644-47 etching British Museum |