Peasant Woman on Horseback with a Child in Her Arms

Executed entirely with etched lines, the print relies on delicate hatching to suggest texture—such as the folds of the woman’s garments, the bark of the central tree, and the fur of the sheep. The absence of color focuses attention on tonal variation achieved through careful shading and line density.

Stefano della Bella, a Florentine draftsman born in 1610, produced more than a thousand etchings and numerous drawings during his career, though only a single painting is documented. He worked primarily in the mid‑17th century, and this particular print dates to 1656, a period when his genre scenes were especially prolific.

The work belongs to a broader tradition of genre prints that documented everyday activities for a growing market of collectors interested in scenes of common life. Della Bella’s focus on rural subjects aligns with contemporary interests in the pastoral and the social conditions of the lower classes.

Although best known for his extensive output of prints, della Bella’s etchings, including this depiction of a peasant woman, continue to be studied for their precise line work and their contribution to the visual record of 17th‑century Italian rural existence.