Mythological Playing Cards
1644
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1644
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Mythological Playing Cards is a 1644 ink by Stefano Della Bella, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sheet holds ten small black-and-white scenes, each framed like a playing card. The images show dramatic stories with people in flowing clothes—some fighting, others dancing or lounging. One scene has a woman in a long dress walking by water, another shows a man wrestling a bull, and a few have groups of people in wild, swirling poses. These scenes look like they’re telling old stories, maybe from history or myths. The artist used sharp lines and shading to make the figures pop, even without color. Want to know more about how this kind of print was made? Look up etching.
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