An entrance to a fortress in center, a woman with child seated by a fire to right, soldiers gather to right and in center, cannons in landscape to left, title page for 'Peace and War' (Divers desseins tant pour la paix que pour la guerre) 1636 - 1646

Stefano della Bella created this print, "An entrance to a fortress... Peace and War," without a specific date, using etching on a sheet. The 17th century was a time of immense social upheaval, marked by conflicts like the Thirty Years' War which ravaged Europe, and the rise of centralized states. Here we see the presumed division between public and private, male and female worlds. To the left, della Bella renders male figures near cannons and fortifications, symbols of power and aggression. To the right, he places a woman and child next to a fire, evoking notions of domesticity. Della Bella seems to ask if peace and war can coexist. "Peace and War" shows us the personal, human cost that accompanies grandiose notions of power, conquest, and political strategy. It subtly asks us to consider whose stories are often left out of historical narratives.