Saint Jean Gualbert trampling a monster with two human heads and a serpentine body, a flying demon in background to right, an angel with a cross flying to left, from 'Frontispiece and four scenes from the life of Saint John Gualbert' (Frontispice et quatre vignettes pour une vie de Saint Jean Gualbert)

Art Historical Context

This etching by Stefano della Bella, created in 164, captures a dramatic moment from the of Saint John Gual, the 11-century founder of the Vallrosan Order. The saint is shown triumphantly trampling a monstrous creature with two human heads and a serpentine body, while a demon flees to the right and an angel bearing a cross approaches from the left. As the frontispiece to a series of four scenes illustrating the saint’s life, the print blends vivid religious narrative with the artist’s signature flair for dynamic movement and intricate detail. Della Bella, a Florentine printmaker active during the Baroque period, specialized in etchings that brought historical and devotional subjects to a wide audience. Etching allowed for fine lines and expressive shading, making it ideal for conveying the tension between good and evil in this composition. The monstrous figures symbolize the temptations and heresies Saint John Gualbert overcame, reflecting the Counter-Reformation emphasis on saints as powerful defenders of the faith. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Department of Drawings and Prints, this work highlights how 17th-century prints served both devotional and educational purposes, inviting viewers to reflect on themes of spiritual victory and divine protection.

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...