Plate 1: the genius of drawing, a child with wings, seated on a rock in center turned towards the right, holding a drawing pad and pen, ruins including a triumphal arch to right in the background, the title page from 'The Principles of Design' (I principii del disegno) 1636 - 1648

This is Plate 1, ‘The Genius of Drawing’, made by Stefano della Bella around the mid-17th century, using etching. Etching involves covering a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant layer. The artist then scratches an image into this coating, exposing the metal. When the plate is dipped in acid, the exposed lines are eaten away, creating grooves. The deeper the lines, the more ink they hold. This plate would have then been inked and pressed onto paper, transferring the image. Look closely, and you’ll see how this process lends itself to a very particular kind of line - precise, controlled, but capable of great variation depending on the depth of the bite. The technique was relatively new at this time and aligned with an increased demand for prints in the 17th century, offering artists like Della Bella a versatile medium for detailed and reproducible imagery. Consider the labor involved: the meticulous preparation of the plate, the careful drawing, the skilled printing. Etching was a craft as much as an art, and understanding its process helps us appreciate the ingenuity and effort embedded in this seemingly simple image.