Ruitenvrouw 1620 - 1664

Stefano della Bella created this print, "Ruitenvrouw," using etching, and it now resides in the Rijksmuseum. The composition is divided into two distinct registers, the upper featuring Venus in her chariot, and the lower filled with descriptive text. The upper portion is immediately striking, dominated by the contrast between the dense network of lines forming the figures and the sparser background. Della Bella uses line to create form and shadow, almost like a sculptural relief. The wheel of Venus’s chariot anchors the composition, its circular form playing against the rectangular format of the print itself. A tension arises between the tactile quality of the etched lines and the ethereal subject matter. This tension underscores a larger theme in Della Bella’s work: the intersection of classical mythology with contemporary printmaking techniques. It is not simply an illustration but an exploration of how traditional subjects can be re-imagined through new media. The materiality of the print—its lines, textures, and the very act of its creation—becomes integral to its meaning.