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Cartouche with Two Lionesses and a Putto. From the "Collection of Various Caprices and New Inventions of Cartouches and Ornaments" Series, Plate 18

Stefano della Bella

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-994
Author: Stefano della Bella
Name: Cartouche with Two Lionesses and a Putto. From the "Collection of Various Caprices and New Inventions of Cartouches and Ornaments" Series, Plate 18
Country: France
Technique: etching
Material: paper
Dimensions: 13.5 x 19.2 cm (height x width)

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Genre: decorative

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 a decorative cartouche featuring an empty heraldic shield in the centre, intended for the subsequent application of a family coat of arms. The shield is supported by a standing lion figure leaning on decorative volutes. Above the shield, a reclining lion figure rests its head on its paws, looking intently to the right. On the right, a naked figure of a small curly-haired child – a putto (or cupid) – is depicted sitting with his head resting on his hand. The cartouche is entwined with ribbons and flower garlands.
The artwork is executed in the High Baroque style. The composition is characterised by a high level of detail, dynamic lines, fine hatching to create volume, and the interplay of light and shadow.

Inscriptions

In the bottom left corner of the sheet, the artist's signature is engraved: "Stef. Della Bella inv. fecit.". In the bottom right corner: "F.L.D. Il Ciartres excud. Cum Privil. Regis Christ." – [Published by François Langlois, known as Ciartres (Chartres), with the official privilege of the French King]. In the upper right corner is the sequential number of the plate in the print series: "18". Below, on the backing cardboard, the gallery inventory number "Г-IV-994" and other numbers are indicated: "31", "29".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery