Plate 13 c. 17th century

Stefano della Bella created this print, using etching, sometime in the 17th century. During the 1600s, Europe was experiencing an intellectual shift. Traditional beliefs were questioned in favor of reason and observation. Here, della Bella depicts two playful scenes with figures emerging from the sea. On each side, a child-like merman wraps his arms around a sea creature, possibly a dolphin. The figures appear to be in a loving embrace. This tender interaction raises questions about the boundaries between human and animal. Della Bella produced many prints, often depicting courtly life and theatrical scenes. Did his experiences with the spectacle of court influence his depiction of these mythological scenes? How might the blurring of lines, typical of the Baroque, between the real and the imagined, reflect the philosophical debates of his time? These images challenge us to consider the emotional and physical connections we share with the natural world.