Jugement de Paris 1644

Stefano della Bella made this print, titled "Jugement de Paris," using etching, a printmaking technique, sometime before his death in 1664. Etching involves covering a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratching an image into that coating. When acid is applied, it bites into the exposed metal, creating lines that hold ink. Look closely, and you'll see how the etched lines define the figures and landscape. Consider the labor involved: the careful preparation of the plate, the precise drawing, the acid-biting process, and finally, the printing itself. This wasn't a unique artwork; it was made to be reproduced and distributed, a product of its time. Prints like these democratized art, making images and ideas accessible to a wider audience. So, in appreciating this delicate etching, we also recognize the social and economic context of its creation, and the many hands that played a part in its making.