1648
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Death on Horseback is a 1648 ink by Stefano Della Bella, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a rider on a rearing horse, mid-fall. The horse’s legs kick wildly, and the rider’s arms are flung wide, as if thrown backward. Below, a chaotic crowd of small, swarming figures scrambles around the horse’s legs, while a church and battlefield stretch out in the background. The rider’s face is twisted in a scream, and the whole scene feels like a nightmare. The artist used sharp lines to make everything look frantic and unstable. Next, look up etching to see how this technique creates such dramatic contrasts.
Stefano della Bella (18 May 1610 – 12 July 1664) was an Italian draughtsman and printmaker known for etchings of a great variety of subjects, including military and court scenes, landscapes, and lively genre scenes.
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