Plate 29: bust of a laughing satyr, facing left in profile, from 'Various portraits' (Recueil de diverses pièces servant à l'art de portraiture) 1645 - 1650

Editor: Here we have Stefano della Bella’s etching, "Bust of a Laughing Satyr," made around 1645-1650. What a character! He looks like he’s caught mid-belly laugh… or maybe he’s just seen something truly scandalous. It's quite striking with such expressive line work, wouldn’t you agree? What do you make of him? Curator: Indeed! The Satyr—Stefano’s taken him somewhere beyond mythology and plunged him straight into caricature. He's not some noble, drunken follower of Bacchus here. He’s the very embodiment of mirth, captured in a split second of absolute, unrestrained joy. Or perhaps something more… sinister? It’s that tension that makes it so alive. Tell me, what do you see in his eyes? Editor: That’s what I find so arresting. There’s a glimmer, a slyness maybe? Not the pure joy I first interpreted. Like he knows a secret you don’t. Is that characteristic of Baroque portraiture at the time, to inject so much ambiguity? Curator: Exactly! It’s Baroque at its most playful, bending the classical toward the grotesque. It’s like Stefano’s inviting us to question, not just observe. He makes us think... What is he laughing *at*? Maybe that’s the true subject here. Do you see how the etches mimic his coarse hair? And that wreathe slightly askew? It's intentional! Editor: That makes the composition so much more complex, more engaging. I'd overlooked that, thinking of Satyrs as figures of pure hedonism rather than complex subjects. Curator: Well, now you're seeing with Stefano's eyes! Maybe he felt there's no true release in the former without a bit of that deliciously dark complexity...an honest bit of humour. What do you think? Editor: I completely agree. It’s not just a laugh; it's a statement. I'll definitely view Baroque portraits differently from now on. Curator: Wonderful! And perhaps even learn to embrace a little of that Satyr's unfiltered perspective ourselves, eh? A touch of chaotic, unburdened candor is an excellent spice to art!