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Bridge with Six Arches. From the "Various Landscapes" Series

Stefano della Bella

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-910
Author: Stefano della Bella
Name: Bridge with Six Arches. From the "Various Landscapes" Series
Country: France
Technique: etching
Material: paper
Dimensions: 11.2 x 20 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Genre: landscape
Plot: Landscape
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

The work comes from the "Various Landscapes" series, created by the artist between 1641–1647 after his arrival in Paris. The first publisher of della Bella's prints was Pierre Mariette – a well-known Parisian publisher and art dealer.
The print depicts a panoramic view of a wooden bridge over a river, resembling an aqueduct with six arches. On the left, on a hill, are the buildings of a settlement. From them, the bridge leads to a dilapidated wooden structure on stilts, towards which several schematically depicted figures are heading. Lower down, two covered boats steered by oarsmen sail along the wide river. A third boat is shown on the shore to the right, with a group of people standing nearby. The right side of the composition is balanced by a classic Baroque "culisse" – tall, highly detailed trees with spreading crowns that emphasise the depth of space. The sky occupies most of the sheet.
Thanks to fine, precise hatching, Stefano della Bella achieves extraordinary detail in the rendering of water, foliage, the texture of the wood, the bridge, and architectural structures. The work is characterised by a harmonious spatial distribution – clearly defined planes – as well as lightness, elegance of lines, and a subtle sense of atmosphere. However, the sheet has significant brown stains that detract from the aesthetic appearance of the work.

Inscriptions

At the bottom of the print on the left: "Stef. della Bella Inuentor.", on the right: "Mariette excudit Cum Priuilegio.". On the backing cardboard on the left beneath the sheet, a sticker with the stamp of the Lviv Historical Museum and the former print number in ink: "Г-4691/43", and further to the right in pencil, the current gallery collection inventory number: "№ Г-IV-910/ ЛДКГ". Pencil marks on the backing cardboard to the left of the print: "2658" and "74", on the right: "150".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Bridge with Six Arches. From the "Various Landscapes" Series

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