Plate 20: an old Polish nobleman wearing a plumed hat in center, standing in profile facing right, another Polish man to right in background, standing in profile facing left, from 'Diversi capricci' 1644 - 1647

This etching, ‘Plate 20’, was created by Stefano della Bella in the 17th century. The composition is immediately striking for its stark simplicity and use of scale. A large figure, presumably an old Polish nobleman, dominates the foreground, standing in profile. To his right and in the background, a smaller figure mirrors his stance, creating a visual echo. Della Bella masterfully employs line to define form and texture. The nobleman's elaborate plumed hat and fur-lined coat are rendered with intricate detail, contrasting with the comparatively simple rendering of the background figure. This contrast in scale and detail serves to emphasize the power and status of the nobleman. The formal qualities of the work invite a semiotic reading. The nobleman's attire and posture function as signs of social standing, while the diminishment of the background figure may suggest a hierarchy or power dynamic. The landscape is left almost bare, so that it directs all our attention to the relationship between the figures and the signs they represent.