Zwei Matrosen und ein Herr in Hut und Mantel 

Stefano della Bella made this pen and brown ink drawing of two sailors and a gentleman in a hat and coat. The material itself, paper, is crucial here; it allowed for the rapid and relatively inexpensive production of images. In his drawings, Della Bella captured the essence of 17th-century European life with quick, sure strokes. The figures are rendered with minimal shading, yet Della Bella manages to convey a sense of depth and volume. Consider how the lightness of the line lends itself to an impression of fleeting observation, as if these figures were sketched quickly from life. The technique perfectly suits the subject matter – ordinary people captured in a moment of everyday life. It's a reminder that art doesn't always need to be monumental or grandiose. Sometimes, it can be found in the simple act of observing and recording the world around us, in the lives of those who often go uncelebrated.