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Sheep and a Ram in a Pasture. From the "Various Animals" Series, Plate 12

Stefano della Bella

  • Sheep and a Ram in a Pasture. From the "Various Animals" Series, Plate 12
Basic information
ID
Г-IV-958
Author
Stefano della Bella
Name
Sheep and a Ram in a Pasture. From the "Various Animals" Series, Plate 12
Country
France
Technique
etching
Material
paper
Dimensions
8.5 x 10.8 cm (height x width)
Additionally
Type
graphic art
Genre
animal painting pastoral
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 print depicts an intimate pastoral scene: sheep and a ram in a pasture. A curly-horned ram is positioned in the centre. Resting with his eyes closed, he sits calmly on a hillock like a master, surrounded by the sheep. To the right, in the middle ground, a shepherd is schematically rendered from behind. With his characteristic subtlety and realism, the artist reproduces the texture of the animals' thick wool, their natural poses, and soft chiaroscuro transitions. The composition is meticulously detailed with fine strokes, creating a sense of aerial perspective and a natural environment.
The series was executed during the artist's stay in Paris and was published by Pierre Mariette.
Inscriptions
At the bottom of the print on the left: "12" (the plate number). On the right: "S. della B.fe.". Pencil marks on the backing cardboard at the bottom: the gallery inventory number "№ Г-IV-958", and on the right near the corner of the sheet: "110".
Legal regulation
Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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