Twee voeten 1620 - 1647

Stefano della Bella made these two studies of feet with pen and brown ink on paper sometime in the 17th century. These aren't traditional art materials, of course, yet they speak volumes. The way the pen has been used is particularly interesting. Della Bella doesn't try to hide the marks made by his hand; instead, he builds up the form of the feet with a dense network of fine lines. Look closely, and you’ll see how he varies the pressure and direction of his strokes to create a sense of volume and texture. You can almost feel the weight and solidity of the feet on the page. The drawings are of the highest quality, yet they’re also quite matter-of-fact. It’s as if Della Bella wanted to understand the feet from the ground up, so to speak, by carefully studying their material form. This reminds us that even the most seemingly humble materials and subjects can be elevated to the level of art through skillful and attentive making.