Plate 12: a shepherd sleeping on the ground to right, three horses to left, other horses and various figures to right, the Baths of Diocletian in the background, a round composition, from 'Roman landscapes and ruins' (Paysages et ruines de Rome) 1643 - 1648

Stefano della Bella created this etching, "Plate 12," part of his 'Roman landscapes and ruins' series, sometime in the mid-17th century. Its circular composition initially presents a pastoral scene, yet the ruins in the background suggest a more complex narrative. The artist uses the circular frame to draw our eyes around the scene, beginning with the resting shepherd and horses in the foreground. Della Bella juxtaposes the animate figures with the static, crumbling architecture of the Baths of Diocletian. The layering of forms, from the figures in the foreground to the ruins and distant structures, creates a sense of depth. Consider the sky, rendered with horizontal lines, it presses down on the scene. The artist emphasizes the weight of history and time, and how the natural world reclaims human constructs. The formal arrangement isn't merely decorative; it's a statement about transience. It encourages a meditation on the relationship between humanity, nature, and the remnants of past civilizations.