Francesco Villamena

Here, Francesco Villamena created a composition of his own invention. Utilizing few types of marks, which are widely spaced and exceptionally neat, and allowing the white of the page to play an important role in defining light and dark, Villamena’s engraving system emphasizes a dynamic sense of rhythm and design. Moiré patterns, made from lines crossed at slight angles, dominate the most heavily shaded areas.

The engraving is dedicated to the great patron of the arts Ciriaco Mattei (1542-1614), whose villa appears in the background. Spanish possession of territories in Southern Italy was widely contested in this period by various foreign powers. Villamena shows a street brawl between the so-called Bruttobuono, a supporter of the Spanish, and stone-throwing pro-French thugs. The sinister cloaked figure at far left is about to attack the doomed Bruttobuono with a sword. The pro-Spanish Mattei apparently gave sanctuary to the mortally wounded Bruttobuono in this real-life event.