Plate 13: a peasant woman, seen from the back, holding a basket in center, a donkey to left and a horse with a pack on its back to right, from 'Diversi capricci' 1639 - 1649

Editor: So, this is "Plate 13: a peasant woman..." an etching by Stefano della Bella, from between 1639 and 1649. It depicts a woman walking with animals in tow; it's mostly the line work, but the animals are really expressive. What jumps out to you about this work? Curator: What I find striking is how this seemingly simple scene reflects broader societal structures. Consider the depiction of the peasant woman. How does della Bella portray her role in the social landscape of the time? Editor: She’s walking away from us, leading the animals, kind of blending into the landscape. Curator: Exactly. Now, let's think about the Italian Renaissance’s decline and the rise of the Baroque period. How does della Bella, an Italian artist working in print media, negotiate the representation of common people and labor for a presumably elite viewership? What does it mean to aestheticize rural life for urban consumption? Editor: I guess it makes sense that those in the city wouldn’t have contact with rural life unless it was romanticized, but I hadn't considered that. Curator: The print becomes a commodity, doesn’t it? Also, consider the power dynamics implicit in the artist's gaze – whose story is being told, and for whom? Editor: It’s interesting how much can be revealed about a culture by simply looking at everyday figures and animals through this lens. Curator: Indeed. The ‘everyday’ is always a construction reflecting very particular social relations. I find considering how artists, like della Bella, participate in or critique these constructions infinitely fascinating.