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Commander on Horseback Giving Orders. From the "Various Cavalry Exercises" Suite

Stefano della Bella

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-866
Author: Stefano della Bella
Name: Commander on Horseback Giving Orders. From the "Various Cavalry Exercises" Suite
Country: France
Technique: etching
Material: paper on cardboard
Dimensions: 8.6 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 – an officer or a cavalry commander – is depicted. He sits on a rearing horse, shown in profile towards the right. On his head, he wears a characteristic 17th-century military hat adorned with plush feathers. In his outstretched left hand, he holds a commander's baton or a sword, indicating the direction of movement or issuing a battle order to the cavalry. On the horizon, other horsemen are sketchily and dynamically depicted during a clash. The composition demonstrates Stefano della Bella's characteristic style of execution: fine, delicate hatching and lightness of lines.
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-866/ ЛДКГ".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Commander on Horseback Giving Orders. From the "Various Cavalry Exercises" Suite

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