Plate 11: shepherdess seated to the right under a tree, watching her flock to the left, mountains to right in the background, from 'Various landscapes' (Divers paysages)
Medium
Etching; second state of two
Dimensions
Sheet (trimmed): 5 1/16 × 10 1/16 in. (12.8 × 25.6 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1960
Accession Number
60.623.18(11)
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this enchanting etching, 11 from Stefano della's *Divers paysages* (Various Landscapes) series, circa 1, a shepherdess rests gracefully under a tree on the right, her gaze fixed on a flock of sheep and cows grazing to the left. Jagged mountains rise dramatically in the background, ev the serene yet vast beauty of the pastoral countryside. Printed in the second state of two, the sheet measures a compact 5 1/16 × 10 1/16 inches, making it an intimate yet expansive vista perfect for collectors. Stefano della Bella, a masterful Italian etcher active in 17th-century France, excelled in capturing intricate landscapes with fluid, expressive lines—a hallmark of Baroque printmaking. Etching allowed him to achieve remarkable detail in foliage, animal textures, and atmospheric depth, techniques honed during his time in Paris under royal patronage. Published by Israël Henriet and associated with Louis de Bourbon, duc d'Angoulême, this plate reflects the era's fascination with idyllic rural scenes, idealizing nature amid France's artistic golden age. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Elisha Whittelsey Collection, this print highlights della Bella's influence on landscape etching, bridging Italian precision with French elegance. It invites viewers to pause, much like the shepherdess, and appreciate the timeless harmony of humanity, animals, and wilderness.
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella|Israël Henriet|Louis de Bourbon duc d'Anguien · 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...