Plate 10: Five Heads of Children, from "Collection of various doodles and etching proofs" (Recueil de divers griffonnements et preuves d'eauforte) 1641 - 1651

Stefano della Bella etched this plate of children’s heads as part of a larger collection of doodles. These aren’t portraits in the traditional sense but rather studies of infancy, capturing the universal, almost archetypal, image of childhood. Consider the "putto," these chubby, winged infants, ubiquitous in Renaissance and Baroque art, representing divine love. Della Bella's children share this cherubic quality, yet they are earthbound, observed with a keen eye for realistic detail. The motif of the child's head appears throughout art history, from ancient Roman funerary sculpture to Renaissance paintings of the Madonna and Child. Each era imbues it with new meaning. Think of the haunting images of children in times of war, their innocence juxtaposed against the horrors of the world. Della Bella’s heads, with their varying expressions, evoke a range of emotions. This image resonates because it taps into our collective memory of childhood, a primal stage of vulnerability and potential. This cycle of symbol transformation highlights the enduring power of the image, its ability to resurface, evolve, and take on new meanings across time.