Rébus on the subject of fortune, a riddle depicted on drapery surrounded by a frame, an oval composition

Stefano della Bella Italian

Not on view

The interpretation of the riddle per line is as follows:
'Fortuna e dormi / Ogni uno balla a cui Fortuna suona / Chi ha la Fortuna ogni tantin di chiave, basti. / Ognuno sa navicar quando fa sol e vento. / Migliore è un'oncia di fortuna che due libbre di sapere / Più fortuna che seno.'

Rébus on the subject of fortune, a riddle depicted on drapery surrounded by a frame, an oval composition, Stefano della Bella (Italian, Florence 1610–1664 Florence), Etching

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.