Plate 16: head of an old man in profile with a cloth tied around his head, from 'The Book for Learning to Draw' (Livre pour apprendre à dessiner) 1644 - 1654

Stefano della Bella created this etching of an old man’s head in profile as part of 'The Book for Learning to Draw' which probably dates to the 1650s. It provides a lesson for aspiring artists in early modern Europe. Consider the emphasis on line and hatching, intended to teach artists how to model form and create tonal variations through carefully controlled strokes. In Italy, during this period, the Academy was the dominant institution shaping artistic practice and taste. This print reflects academic ideas about the importance of studying the human form. We might consider how such “instructional” images circulated, and how artists learned by copying and adapting such models. The social and institutional context is crucial. By consulting sources such as artists' treatises, academy records, and collections of prints and drawings, we can better understand the production and reception of images like this in their own time.