Plate 8: two horsemen in hats at right, each with a woman seated behind them, riding towards the left in profile across a river, a tree at far right, from 'Caprice faict par de la Bella' 1640 - 1645

Editor: Here we have Stefano della Bella's "Plate 8: two horsemen in hats at right, each with a woman seated behind them…" part of his 'Caprice faict par de la Bella' series, dating from the 1640s. It's an etching, residing at the Met. It strikes me as rather dreamlike, almost melancholic. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, yes. Dreamlike is perfect. Look at how he's conjuring a world rather than just representing it. It’s like a memory, isn’t it? Fleeting. This baroque etching— it isn't just about the riders; it’s about the journey, the landscape, almost a theatrical staging, wouldn't you say? Think about what stories might unfold from such a scene. Where are these folks headed, or what did they leave behind? Editor: Definitely theatrical. The way the tree frames the scene on the right... I'm curious about the figures themselves. Are they nobles on some grand adventure? Curator: Perhaps. Or perhaps it's a more allegorical journey, a journey of the soul. Baroque art often explored themes of transition and change. What emotions do you find rising to the surface as you study this artwork? Is it joy, fear, the unknown? Editor: It feels…gentle. There’s a tranquility despite the journey implied. I initially just saw a nice scene of riders crossing a river, but hearing you, I now see the stillness more, the invitation to imagine a more introspective journey. Curator: Exactly! And sometimes art whispers loudest when it appears to be calm. The surface simplicity often serves to draw you closer and discover more. It is there that della Bella will find a special place in our memories, a certain melancholic beauty.