Atalanta and Hippomenes, from 'Game of Mythology' (Jeu de la Mythologie) 1644

Stefano della Bella made this tiny etching of Atalanta and Hippomenes as part of a series of mythological scenes used for a card game. Made in Italy around the mid-seventeenth century, the print shows a moment in a famous race. Atalanta, a swift-footed huntress, had declared she would only marry the man who could outrun her in a footrace. Hippomenes wins Atalanta as his bride by throwing golden apples to distract her during the race. Della Bella, who was employed by the Medici court in Florence, depicts the figures with classical features, emphasizing their athletic bodies and intense focus. The landscape is sparse but functional. The scene suggests how art, even in a playful form like a card game, could reinforce social values and expectations around marriage and competition. Understanding this image requires looking into the visual language of the time, the artist's institutional context, and the social functions of art within courtly life.