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Corner of the Quay in Livorno. From the "Views of the Port of Livorno" Series

Stefano della Bella

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-941
Author: Stefano della Bella
Name: Corner of the Quay in Livorno. From the "Views of the Port of Livorno" Series
Country: Italy
Technique: etching
Material: paper
Dimensions: 24 x 18 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Genre: marine painting architectural 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 is part of della Bella's renowned graphic series dedicated to the views of the seaport of Livorno (Vues du port de Livourne).
The composition presents the bustling daily life in the seventeenth-century Italian port of Livorno. In the foreground on the stone quay, detailed figures of people – workers, merchants, and sailors – are rendered. Dressed in attire characteristic of the era, they are unloading vessels and interacting with one another. On the right rises a defensive tower, which forms part of the port fortifications. At its base, workers are hoisting massive wooden beams. The middle ground and background display the port waters filled with sailing ships and boats, establishing a linear rhythm within the composition. In the distance, the outlines of other fortifications of Livorno are visible. The upper portion of the work is occupied by an open sky with light, textured clouds. Through the etching technique, the master subtly conveys the interplay of light and shade, as well as the aerial perspective.
This work serves as a distinct example of a documentary and artistic seascape and genre scene, meticulously capturing the atmosphere of a vital maritime hub in Italy of the period.

Inscriptions

At the bottom right beneath the image, the artist's signature is engraved: "SDBella". Pencil marks on the backing cardboard on the left near the corner of the print sheet at the bottom: "26", "2624", on the right: "116", "Г-IV-941".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Corner of the Quay in Livorno. From the "Views of the Port of Livorno" Series

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