Plate 8: four grotesque heads with scrollwork, from 'Friezes, foliage, and grotesques' (Frises, feuillages et grotesques) 1638 - 1643

Curator: Today we're looking at "Plate 8: four grotesque heads with scrollwork, from 'Friezes, foliage, and grotesques'," an etching and ink drawing made between 1638 and 1643 by Stefano della Bella. Editor: My first thought is theatre, actually! Or maybe a particularly dramatic puppet show? There's a very raw, theatrical energy coming from those faces, each trapped in their own little swirling drama. Curator: Exactly! These kinds of grotesque faces were really popular during the Baroque period. They weren’t necessarily meant to be scary, but more like whimsical, ornamental flourishes. Each of these heads emerges from elaborate scrollwork. They are meant to evoke emotional depth with just a line or two. Editor: Right. And the expressions are fascinating! There's defiance, pain, amusement, and some... well, some I can’t even put into words. I'm seeing these symbols reaching all the way back to ancient gargoyles and masks. They embody the spirit of classical theatrics and embody very fundamental elements of human emotion: the comedic, the tragic, but, really, above all, they make a record of the ridiculous. Curator: I think you're on to something, definitely. Della Bella was working in a world still processing the Renaissance, so the echoes of antiquity were everywhere. That combined with the growing flair for drama and decoration of the Baroque gives us these fascinating faces frozen in these very dramatic, emotive attitudes. I love how he renders the light, making these scenes come alive. Editor: Absolutely. Light creates meaning! To me, the dark and light—chiaroscuro, as they say—gives the artwork so much emotional depth. We are seeing humanity and its wide range of feeling, brought to life by the balance of both comedy and tragedy. Curator: Della Bella clearly understood that the emotional connection can be drawn with light. And perhaps that helps the etching feel timeless despite its overt historic, and ornamental origins. Editor: Yes, it reminds us of the way we have continually visualized and represented ourselves over time. To look at this, we realize that there is something truly immortal, unchanging, even eternal, about human nature.