Mannen op krukken en vrouwen met kinderen 1620 - 1664

Stefano della Bella created this small etching, "Men on crutches and women with children," using metal and acid, sometime in the mid-17th century. It's an intimate glimpse into a marginalized community. The stark, thin lines create a world of poverty and resilience. Della Bella's mastery lies in how he coaxes so much emotion from such a demanding medium. The etching process itself—drawing a design into a wax ground on a metal plate, then bathing it in acid—allowed for detailed, reproducible images. Here, it serves to document people often overlooked by the mainstream. Consider the labor involved: the artist's skilled hand, the etcher's careful work, and the printer's precision. This print wasn't just an aesthetic object; it was a product of its time, made by skilled artisans. The artist asks us to consider the labor and circumstances of the subjects represented, and the labor required to produce this image. By understanding the making, we can appreciate the social commentary embedded in the work, challenging our notions of what constitutes art and who deserves to be seen.