1637
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Death on the Battle Field is a 1637 ink by Stefano Della Bella, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a skeletal figure riding a rearing horse through a chaotic battlefield. The rider holds a spear, and the scene is filled with fallen soldiers, twisted bodies, and swirling movement. The background looks like a stormy sky over a field of corpses, with dark lines suggesting chaos and death. The artist used sharp lines to show panic and violence, making everything feel urgent. The text below is in French, describing how death triumphs in war. If you like this style, look up etching to see how artists carved these dramatic scenes into metal plates.
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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