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Loading of Goods into a Boat. From the "Various Embarkations" (Diversi imbarchi) Series

Stefano della Bella

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-903
Author: Stefano della Bella
Name: Loading of Goods into a Boat. From the "Various Embarkations" (Diversi imbarchi) Series
Country: France
Technique: etching
Material: paper
Dimensions: 7.3 x 16.8 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Genre: marine 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 seventh plate of the aforementioned series. The print is dedicated to the daily marine and port life of the seventeenth century, which was one of the artist's favourite themes during his travels and stay in France. In the foreground on the right, a large group of dockworkers and sailors harmoniously load heavy packages and bales of goods into a long rowboat.
On the right, a fragment of the stern of a large galley or vessel moored near the pier is depicted. The decorative elements on the vessel are drawn in detail. On the right stands a man with a long pike, who is likely overseeing the unloading process. In the middle ground on the left, two large multi-masted sailing ships are depicted on the calm sea surface.
The work demonstrates a refinement of lines, miniature detailing of figures, a soft aerial perspective, and a masterful play of chiaroscuro.

Inscriptions

Engraved at the bottom of the sheet on the left: "7 S.D. Bella jn. et. fe.". On the left of the sheet on the mounting cardboard, written in pencil: "74", and beneath the sheet on the left, the gallery collection number is written: "№ Г-IV-903/ ЛДКГ".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Loading of Goods into a Boat. From the "Various Embarkations" (Diversi imbarchi) Series

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