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Head of a Bearded Old Man in a Laurel Wreath (Homer). Plate from the "Principles of Design" Suite

Stefano della Bella

  • Head of a Bearded Old Man in a Laurel Wreath (Homer). Plate from the "Principles of Design" Suite
Basic information
ID
Г-IV-896
Author
Stefano della Bella
Name
Head of a Bearded Old Man in a Laurel Wreath (Homer). Plate from the "Principles of Design" Suite
Country
France
Technique
etching
Material
paper
Dimensions
12.8 x 16 cm (height x width)
Additionally
Type
graphic art
Genre
portraiture
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
Stefano della Bella created the etching suite "I Principii del Disegno" ("The Principles of Design") around 1641. It is a collection of models for beginners and amateurs studying the art of drawing. The suite served as a visual aid with guidance on mastering hatching techniques and form construction.
The print depicts a portrait of an elderly man with a thick, curly beard and a laurel wreath on his head, echoing classic antique images of poets, philosophers, and deities. The work demonstrates the artist's filigree hatching, which renders volume, chiaroscuro, and the texture of hair and skin.
Although this image is traditionally associated with an idealised portrait of an ancient poet, particularly Homer, or a mythological character, in this suite the print primarily served as an artistic study – a model for examining hatching, chiaroscuro, and the anatomy of the human head.
The suite was published in Paris by the artist's close friend and regular publisher, Israël Henriet.
Inscriptions
Engraved bottom left on the sheet is "S.D. Bella in. et fecit", and in the centre: "Avec privilege du Roy". On the backing cardboard in the centre below the sheet, there is the gallery's inventory number in pencil: "№ Г-IV-896/ ЛДКГ". Inscribed in pencil on the left is "2681", and further to the left – "34".
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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