Frontispiece for the comedy 'The Buffoons' (Li Buffoni), a set on stage resembling a public space, various figures dancing around two people in cages in center stage, fifteen spectators below 1634 - 1644

This etching by Stefano della Bella, created between 1634 and 1644, is the frontispiece for the comedy "The Buffoons" (Li Buffoni). It depicts a lively scene set on a stage, resembling a public space. The central focus is on two figures confined within cages, surrounded by dancing figures. Below them, fifteen spectators watch the performance. The artwork, now housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, showcases della Bella's talent for capturing the theatrical energy and spectacle of 17th-century Italian stage productions.