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Cow Drinking from a Fountain Adorned with the Medici Coat of Arms. From the "Six Animal Subjects" Series

Stefano della Bella

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-944
Author: Stefano della Bella
Name: Cow Drinking from a Fountain Adorned with the Medici Coat of Arms. From the "Six Animal Subjects" Series
Country: France
Technique: etching
Material: paper
Dimensions: 14.8 x 13.8 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Genre: genre art
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 executed in the form of a tondo on a rectangular sheet. The central focus of the composition is a large cow with massive horns, turned to the left. The animal stands near a well (fountain) and drinks water from it. The artist masterfully conveys the anatomy of the cow, the texture of its coat, and the chiaroscuro modelling of its body. Beside the cow stands a shepherdess in traditional attire with a tucked headscarf. The woman gently rests her hand on the animal's back. To the left, a fountain (well) is depicted – a classical stone structure, on the upper part of which the coat of arms of the noble Florentine Medici family with the traditional palle spheres is clearly visible. This may serve as a reference to the artist's origin and his patrons. Above the basin, a stream of water is visible, from which a man, leaning over the well, is drinking. Above the figures of people and animals rises a sprawling old tree with a dense, detailed crown that fills the upper section of the tondo. In the background on the right, a panorama of hills opens up, where an ancient tower-like structure is depicted in the distance.
In this work, della Bella's individual style is particularly pronounced: the artist employs extremely fine, delicate hatching to model the volumes. The variety of strokes allows for a flawless rendering of the roughness of the fountain's hewn stone, the density of the foliage, and the softness of the animal's coat. The engraving was created during the artist's stay in Paris, as evidenced by the mark of the Royal Privilege at the bottom.

Inscriptions

At the bottom left on the sheet, the artist's inscription is engraved: "Ste. Della Bella jn. et fe.", on the right: "Cum Priuil. Reg." (by Royal Privilege). At the bottom left on the sheet in pencil: "2585". On the backing cardboard at the bottom left: "103", in the centre, the gallery inventory number: "№ Г-IV-944", on the right: "60".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

Cow Drinking from a Fountain Adorned with the Medici Coat of Arms. From the "Six Animal Subjects" Series

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