Mare suckling a foal in center, another foal urinating in back left, other horses in the background, from 'Various cavalry exercises' (Diverses exercices de cavalerie) 1642 - 1645

Curator: Stefano della Bella’s etching, made between 1642 and 1645, captures a charming pastoral scene. The full title is rather descriptive: “Mare suckling a foal in center, another foal urinating in back left, other horses in the background, from 'Various cavalry exercises'.” Editor: It has a spontaneous, almost accidental quality. The stark contrast, those economical lines giving shape to the bodies… the momentariness is so present. You can sense the daily life of this stable, the turning of a page into a day. Curator: Absolutely. There's a keen observation of anatomy here, wouldn't you agree? Look at the rendering of the musculature on the mare, achieved through precise cross-hatching. It elevates the everyday to a form of sophisticated study. How interesting, this connection between war and life. Editor: It's definitely elevated, but I'm particularly struck by the plate itself. Consider the conditions in which Bella might have created this; how he would mix acids, painstakingly apply them to the metal, and then make his mark in multiple stages and progressive proofs to reach the perfect tonal quality. How does this labour, along with its potential missteps, play into our experience of the finished object? Curator: That process imbues it with a haptic quality despite its reproductive nature. And look, there are interesting thematic layers at work here: the vulnerable intimacy of the suckling foal juxtaposed with that unabashed urination in the background. There is a frank, unromantic quality, as if these animals have an emotional, living story beyond their service to people at war. Editor: Exactly. The material speaks directly to the socioeconomic position and potential precarity of early modern printmaking. And how the print circulated; in this case, a wealthy person may buy an unbound print for leisurely viewing at home while others rely on affordable book illustrations for visual material. Curator: Considering it further, that inherent tension elevates the subject to a level of psychological intrigue— the natural cycle versus imposed control of domestic animals. Thank you, I won’t look at etchings the same way again! Editor: I quite agree! Seeing it from your viewpoint has been invaluable.