Back

Battle Between Several Boats and Galleys. From the "Various Landscapes" Series or the "Set of Eight Nautical Landscapes" (Suite de huit Marines) Series

Stefano della Bella

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-937
Author: Stefano della Bella
Name: Battle Between Several Boats and Galleys. From the "Various Landscapes" Series or the "Set of Eight Nautical Landscapes" (Suite de huit Marines) Series
Date of creation: 1634 (according to other data – c. 1641)
Technique: etching
Material: paper
Dimensions: 12.3 x 20.8 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Genre: battle painting marine painting
Plot: Battle
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 a generalised allegorical form, a naval battle between Europeans and representatives of the Ottoman Empire – either the Turkish fleet or Barbary pirates – is depicted.
The composition presents a dynamic and intense naval battle. In the foreground on the left, several large rowing boats are shown, overflowing with armed warriors. They are engaged in close combat, firing muskets, raising weapons, and actively manoeuvring with oars. The central part of the composition is filled with thick clouds of gunpowder smoke, through which the masts of large military sailing ships can be discerned. In the background on the right, another military galley is visible, participating in manoeuvres or retreating from the site of the main clash. The composition is saturated with movement: the turbulent sea and sky, heavy with clouds and smoke, emphasise the chaos and drama of the battle.
The work demonstrates the expression characteristic of the artist, exquisite linework, and masterly modelling of space through the use of chiaroscuro and smoke effects.

Inscriptions

At the bottom of the backing cardboard from left to right in pencil: "84", "2641", "№ Г-IV-937", and "133".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery