Zes ogen, drie oren, twee neuzen en drie monden 1620 - 1664

Editor: Here we have "Zes ogen, drie oren, twee neuzen en drie monden", or "Six eyes, three ears, two noses and three mouths" by Stefano della Bella, created sometime between 1620 and 1664. It’s a drawing done in ink on paper. I find myself drawn to its incompleteness; it feels like peering into the artist’s mind as he's working through an idea. What stands out to you? Curator: It’s like catching a glimpse of a musician practicing scales, isn’t it? This sheet of studies offers a real intimacy. The artist is clearly working on mastering the subtleties of human features, those fleeting expressions that reveal character. It feels exploratory, less about a final product and more about the joy—and the struggle—of understanding form. Do you ever find that the most revealing aspect of art is its ability to document a journey? Editor: Absolutely! It makes the artwork feel alive. The slight variations between each eye or ear suggest the artist is actively observing, correcting, and refining. Are these the sketches from life or are they purely from imagination? Curator: Ah, that's the golden question, isn't it? Knowing Della Bella’s other works, a delightful mix of observation and invention, I’d hazard a guess it's a bit of both. He’s probably referencing his memory of faces he’s seen, but there's also an element of playful exaggeration in the way those features are arranged on the page. Does that change your feeling about the sketch at all? Editor: It does! Knowing there's an element of the artist’s imagination involved makes me see this less as a mere exercise and more as an expression of how he perceives and internalizes the human face. Thank you for highlighting that! Curator: My pleasure. And who knows? Perhaps in doodling we see deeper into the creative soul than any perfectly finished piece would ever permit!