Landscape with two women, one mounted on a donkey 1655 - 1665

Stefano della Bella created this print, Landscape with two women, one mounted on a donkey, using etching. The composition immediately draws you in with its stark contrast between the detailed foreground and the hazier background. The tree, bent by a persistent wind, dominates the scene, its branches reaching across the frame, creating dynamic lines that lead the eye. Bella’s technique uses line to build form and space, a hallmark of his approach to landscape. Notice how the figures are secondary, almost absorbed by the landscape; their presence serves to emphasize the overwhelming power of nature. This work resonates with the period's interest in the picturesque, framing nature not as a tamed garden but as an evocative, almost sublime space. The etching technique allows for a complex interplay of light and shadow, which constructs depth and mood. The scene captures a moment, a transient encounter with nature, reflecting broader cultural shifts in viewing the natural world as both a subject of study and a source of profound aesthetic experience.