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Embarkation of Soldiers. From the "Various Embarkations" (Diversi imbarchi) Series

Stefano della Bella

  • Embarkation of Soldiers. From the "Various Embarkations" (Diversi imbarchi) Series
Basic information
ID
Г-IV-898
Author
Stefano della Bella
Name
Embarkation of Soldiers. From the "Various Embarkations" (Diversi imbarchi) Series
Country
France
Technique
etching
Material
paper
Dimensions
7.5 x 15.8 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
An impression from the first plate of the "Various Embarkations" series. The work depicts a bustling coastal scene representing the process of boarding and loading military ships. In the foreground on the right, ahead of a massive harbour fortress with a round tower, moves a column of soldiers armed with muskets and pikes, commanded by officers on horseback. On the left are groups of military personnel and dockworkers. Heavy gun barrels lie in the centre, prepared for subsequent transportation. Near the shore, a longboat, already filled with the first soldiers, is moored, while port labourers load heavy sacks of ammunition onto it. In the background, large sailing warships (galleons) stand at anchor in the open sea, awaiting boats carrying troops. The work is distinguished by the filigree hatching characteristic of the master's etchings. The space of the sky is left clear, emphasising the lightness of the composition and its fullness with air and light. The series was published in Paris by the artist's close friend and regular publisher, Israel Henriet.
Inscriptions
Engraved at the bottom of the sheet on the left: "1 S.D. Bella jn. et fe.", on the right: "Israel excud. cum privil. Regis.". In the centre beneath the sheet on the mounting cardboard, the gallery inventory number is written in pencil: "№ Г-IV-898/ ЛДКГ".
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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