Woman coiffed as a sultana, from 'Several heads in the Persian style' (Plusieurs têtes coiffées à la persienne) 1649 - 1650

Curator: Here we have "Woman coiffed as a sultana, from 'Several heads in the Persian style'" by Stefano della Bella, dating from around 1649-1650. It's an etching, part of the Baroque period's fascination with exoticism. Editor: It has this melancholic feel, doesn't it? Like a captured bird. The delicacy of the line work, especially in the hair, is just beautiful, yet it's all contained within this tight oval shape that sort of squeezes all emotion down. Curator: The "several heads" series was itself produced and sold as unbound leaves. Stefano della Bella worked in printmaking and small works primarily, providing artworks to consumers looking for a less financially ambitious art. Editor: And look at the labor involved in such fine detail achieved through etching—it’s incredible that such elaborate adornment could come from, practically, mass production of images. Are those supposed to be grapes adorning her hair? Curator: Likely mimicking pearls, indicative of both luxury and the artistic trend toward Orientalism prevalent at the time. These etchings provided the rapidly rising middle class in Europe images to reflect upon ideas of privilege, culture and worldliness. The materials were also easily accessible to those purchasing the works; in effect, the consumption mirrors the subject it represents. Editor: Funny, isn’t it, how art imitates wealth, then the reproduction democratizes that image, transforming the art once again. She doesn’t quite have the haughty air I’d expect; rather there’s an intimate and soft wistfulness about her, made more pronounced by the detail that Della Bella captured in the etching. What would she think, I wonder, seeing her portrait reproduced ad infinitum, floating on phone screens, centuries later? Curator: Perhaps she would finally feel less constrained by the expectations of her class. Editor: Or utterly bemused by the fact that a digital copy of herself would find its way to the pockets of millions across the globe, who will look and briefly feel like her world is momentarily theirs.