1637
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Figure Leading a Horse is a 1637 ink by Stefano Della Bella, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a person in a loose robe leading a horse by its reins. The lines are quick and scratchy, like hurried notes. The person’s head is turned slightly, and the horse’s body is drawn in a few confident strokes. The paper looks old, with a faint grid underneath—maybe the artist used it to size up shapes. The ink is brown, almost like a faded stain, with some gray wash added here and there. Check out the technique: gouache to see how artists use opaque watercolors like this.
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.
See the richer artist page![Figures on Horseback [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/014ce85ac0e4d9d4/thumb.webp)
![The Flight into Egypt [verso]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/3a100db72e6d25e3/thumb.webp)
![Statue of Alexander and Bucephalus [recto]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/d9a688cc8df08f18/thumb.webp)
