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Mounted Cuirassier Holding a Lance and Heading Left. From the "Various Cavalry Exercises" Suite

Stefano della Bella

  • Mounted Cuirassier Holding a Lance and Heading Left. From the "Various Cavalry Exercises" Suite
Basic information
ID
Г-IV-865
Author
Stefano della Bella
Name
Mounted Cuirassier Holding a Lance and Heading Left. From the "Various Cavalry Exercises" Suite
Country
France
Technique
etching
Material
paper on cardboard
Dimensions
8.5 x 6.8 cm (height x width)
Additionally
Type
graphic art
Genre
battle painting
Provenance
Received from the Lviv Historical Museum, 1954
Information about author
Author
Stefano della Bella
Author in the original
Stefano della Bella
Artist's lifetime
1610–1644
Country
Italy
Biography
Stefano della Bella (Italian: Stefano della Bella; 1610, Florence – 1664, ibid.). A prominent Italian artist, engraver and etcher of the Early Baroque period, Stefano della Bella was one of the most prolific European printmakers of the 17th century. Following the untimely death of his father, the youth began training in a goldsmith's workshop. Around 1623, he moved to the workshop of the engraver Orazio Vanni, where he mastered the basic techniques of printmaking. Later, he refined his etching technique in the workshop of Remigio Cantagallina – the mentor of the famous French master Jacques Callot. Copying Callot's works significantly influenced the formation of della Bella's own refined artistic style.
During this same period, the artist secured the patronage of the Medici family, who supported him throughout his life. In 1633–1639, funded by his primary patron, Prince Lorenzo de' Medici (uncle of Ferdinand de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany), the artist lived and studied in Rome. There, he immediately received major commissions and made numerous sketches of park ensembles, villas, palaces and ancient ruins, which he later incorporated into his engravings.In Rome, della Bella met the French printmakers Israel Henriet and François Langlois, thanks to whom he moved to Paris in 1639. In France, the artist quickly achieved immense popularity, establishing close and successful collaborations with them, as well as with the leading Parisian publisher Pierre Mariette. His etchings were in high demand among European collectors. In 1650, due to anti-Italian unrest in France (the Fronde), the engraver returned to his native Florence. During this late period, he significantly diversified his favourite themes, creating a series of hunting scenes, landscapes with Roman ruins and detailed depictions of horsemen.
Over his lifetime, Stefano della Bella created more than a thousand unique etchings and thousands of drawings. He worked across battle, landscape, animal, ornamental and genre scenes, capturing the events of his time with documentary precision – from the lavish theatrical pageants of the Florentine nobility to the harsh realities of the Thirty Years' War and the everyday street life of European cities. He became famous for his jewelry-fine, filigree-detailed miniature works.
Object description
In the centre of the composition, a rider – a cuirassier in heavy knightly armour – is depicted. He sits confidently on a horse moving towards the left. In his right hand, the warrior holds a vertically raised long lance with a small pennon at the end. In the background, a landscape with the silhouettes of other horsemen is drawn in thin, barely perceptible lines. This creates a sense of spatial depth and indicates a military campaign or manoeuvres.
The print was published in Paris by the artist's close friend and regular publisher, Israël Henriet. This is evidenced by a characteristic engraved inscription in the bottom right corner of the impression below the image: "Israel ex.", which is an abbreviation for "Israel excudit" – [Israel published it].
Similar prints are held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York) and other major graphic collections.
Inscriptions
Engraved bottom right below the image is the name of the suite's publisher: "Israel ex.". Inscribed in pencil on the mounting board on the left is the inventory number: "№ Г-IV-865/ ЛДКГ".
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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