Hippomene et Atalante c. 17th century

Stefano della Bella made this etching, Hippomene et Atalante, in Italy in the 17th century. It shows a scene from classical mythology, the race between Atalanta, a swift-footed huntress, and Hippomenes, who wins her hand in marriage through cunning. The visual codes are all rooted in the revival of interest in classical antiquity that characterized the art of this time. But what might a scene like this mean to a 17th-century audience? On the surface, it celebrates ingenuity. But as a story of a woman outwitted and forced into marriage, it may also reflect the patriarchal social structures of the time. Looking closely at such an image, we can ask: what was the public role of art in Della Bella's Italy? What were the politics of imagery? The answers lie in the social conditions that shaped artistic production. To understand this etching, we must consider the cultural norms around gender, marriage, and power, which art history can help us explore.