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Houses Overlooking the Port of Livorno. From the "Views of the Port of Livorno" Series

Stefano della Bella

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-942
Author: Stefano della Bella
Name: Houses Overlooking the Port of Livorno. From the "Views of the Port of Livorno" Series
Country: Italy
Technique: etching
Material: paper
Dimensions: 25.2 x 35.5 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 foreground depicts the bustling life on the quay of the old harbour, the so-called Darsena, where Tuscan galleys moored, and merchants and workers engaged in unloading and trade. Port labourers, merchants, and sailors, dressed in attire characteristic of the seventeenth century, are resting, conversing near large barrels, or attending to their business. In the centre, detailed gun barrels are represented on stone steps. In the background on the left, a watchtower is visible, which forms part of the defensive system of the old port (the Old Fortress – Fortezza Vecchia).
The central visual element of the composition is a large, meticulously rendered galley moored by the shore. Its quarterdeck is covered with an awning. On the right, the calm waters of the port are shown with people in boats, while the masts of another vessel and the marine expanse are visible in the distance.
The work is distinguished by a virtuoso stroke characteristic of Baroque graphics. Through fine lines, the artist masterfully conveys the texture of the cloudy sky, gentle ripples on the water, and the intricate structures of ship rigging. This print is executed on antique laid paper. Along the corners and margins of the sheet, signs of paper ageing are noticeable – patina and foxing.

Inscriptions

At the bottom left, beneath the platemark, an engraved inscription is visible: "Cum Privilegio Regis Chri". At the bottom of the backing cardboard, there are numbered pencil marks and a sticker with the stamp and inventory numbers of the Lviv Historical Museum.

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Houses Overlooking the Port of Livorno. From the "Views of the Port of Livorno" Series

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