A Black sailor standing to left, in profile to the right, a White sailor seated in center with legs outstretched, a ship being repaired to right in the background
ca. 1658–63
Medium
Etching
Dimensions
Sheet: 7 11/16 x 7 3/8 in. (19.6 x 18.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011
Accession Number
2012.136.534
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
Stefano della Bella, a prominent 17th-century Italiancher active in Florence and Paris, created this captivating print around 1658–63. Known for his intricate depictions of everyday life, military scenes, and landscapes influenced by masters like Jacques Callot and Rembrandt, della Bella excelled in etching—a printmaking technique using acid to bite designs into metal plates, allowing for delicate lines and rich tonal effects. This modest sheet (7 11/16 x 7 3/8 in.) captures a moment of maritime labor with remarkable clarity and vitality. The composition features a Black sailor standing in left profile, gazing right, beside a seated White sailor with legs casually outstretched in the center foreground. To the right, a ship undergoes repairs, evoking the bustling shipyards of Europe's Age of Sail. This scene highlights the diverse workforce of 17th-century ports, where sailors from varied backgrounds toiled amid naval expansion and global trade. Della Bella's precise profiles and dynamic poses infuse the ordinary with humanity, underscoring the interconnected worlds of labor and exploration. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011), this etching offers a window into Baroque-era life, blending technical virtuosity with subtle social observation. Visitors will appreciate its timeless portrayal of shared human endeavor on the high seas.
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...