Hoofd van een jonge man en vier ogen 1620 - 1664

Stefano della Bella created this etching, "Head of a Young Man and Four Eyes," using delicate lines to explore form and perception. The composition is divided into two distinct zones. Above, a young man's head is rendered with a mass of curls framing his face, emerging from shadow. Below, four eyes are presented in isolation. Della Bella’s technique destabilizes our reading of the whole, and the relationship between the head and the eyes below isn't immediately clear. The eyes, rendered with precision, invite us to consider the act of seeing itself. Della Bella plays with the semiotics of portraiture, fragmenting the face and prompting us to question how we construct identity through visual representation. The artist uses line and form to engage with broader philosophical questions about perception, representation, and the nature of identity, suggesting the instability of meaning.