Plate 3: two horsemen crossing a river to right, a woman with two baskets atop a donkey to left, trees to the left and right, a bridge in the background, from 'Various landscapes' (Divers paysages) 1636 - 1646

Stefano della Bella created this etching, Plate 3, from 'Various landscapes', sometime in the mid-seventeenth century. During this period landscape art grew in popularity, reflecting a changing relationship between people and their environments. Notice the figures scattered across the scene. To the left, a woman sits atop a donkey, burdened with baskets. Meanwhile, two horsemen cross the river to the right. These figures, dwarfed by the landscape, evoke a sense of scale and invite reflection on our place within the natural world. How might the artist be commenting on the social hierarchies of his time through the figures’ varied roles? Consider the contrast between the serene landscape and the labor of the figures. Della Bella presents a world where nature is both a source of beauty and a space of work, subtly highlighting the social and economic dynamics of seventeenth-century life. This piece encourages us to reflect on the landscapes we inhabit and how they shape our experiences.