This entertaining etching juxtaposes the labors of the artist with moments of leisure, characterizing the creative process as constantly in flux. At center is a statue representing Genius taming a snake, the latter probably meant to stand for vice. The pedestal bears an inscription proclaiming that an artist’s work alternates with times of idleness; Mitelli’s name appears beneath this inscription, as if validating this experience of artistic creation. Numerous putti surround the statue, engaged in various pastimes—hunting, fishing, bird catching, ball games, dancing, and playing music. At bottom left are examples of the labors of an artist, including painting, sculpting, and drawing. The draftsman, his back to the viewer, may be read as a self-deprecating reference to the artist, the inscription below the figure reading: “a little bit of everything, but all poorly done.” A masked jester in the center foreground intervenes between the print and its viewer, as if urging further reflection on the process of creation. Dated 1691, this image serves to document the leisure activities and elements of daily life in late seventeenth-century Bologna, while also offering a glimpse into the working process of an artist active at the time.
Claire Spadafora Baes
2024