Vrouw die haar haren blondeert c. 1576 - 1624

Francesco Villamena's etching depicts a woman in a domestic setting. The composition centers on the seated figure, her form creating a stable, pyramidal shape that anchors the image. Villamena’s use of line is particularly striking. Notice how he employs hatching and cross-hatching to suggest depth and texture, from the folds of the woman's dress to the objects scattered around her. The linear quality gives the scene a sense of graphic clarity, typical of printmaking. The composition is carefully arranged. The objects around the woman, such as the vessels and book, are placed to guide the eye and create a balanced, yet informal, arrangement. Consider the cultural codes at play. The act of bleaching hair speaks to contemporary ideals of beauty, and the tools of the trade suggest a certain level of artifice. Through its formal elements, the print engages with broader themes of representation, perception, and the construction of identity. These formal qualities contribute to the etching's enduring visual impact.