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Peasant Woman on a Horse with a Herd of Cows, Sheep, and Goats. From the "Six Animal Subjects" Series

Stefano della Bella

  • Peasant Woman on a Horse with a Herd of Cows, Sheep, and Goats. From the "Six Animal Subjects" Series
Basic information
ID
Г-IV-946
Author
Stefano della Bella
Name
Peasant Woman on a Horse with a Herd of Cows, Sheep, and Goats. From the "Six Animal Subjects" Series
Country
France
Technique
etching
Material
paper
Dimensions
14.5 x 14 cm (height x width)
Additionally
Type
graphic art
Genre
genre art
Plot
Pastoral scene
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 composition of the work is inscribed within a tondo on a rectangular sheet. It presents a pastoral scene typical of the seventeenth century. In the centre of the subject, a peasant woman is depicted riding a horse. She moves surrounded by a dense herd of domestic animals: the figures of cows, sheep, goats, and a sheepdog are clearly highlighted in the foreground. In the background on the right, the silhouettes of hills and rooftops are visible. The upper section of the tondo is occupied by a masterfully hatched sky.
The work demonstrates an exquisite fineness of stroke. Through varying density of lines, the artist flawlessly conveys the volumes of the animals' bodies, the softness of the sheep's wool, and the texture of the ground. The sky is incised with long, almost horizontal parallel lines that create the effect of light clouds and deep aerial perspective. 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: "S. D. Bella іnu. & Feс.", on the right: "Cum Priuil. Reg." (by Royal Privilege). On the backing cardboard at the bottom left in pencil: "105", in the centre, the gallery inventory number: "№ Г-IV-946", on the right: "62".
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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