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Stefano della Bella

Basic information

ID: Г-IV-989
Author: Stefano della Bella
Name: Carousel
Technique: etching
Material: paper
Dimensions (height x width, cm): 29.2 x 45

Additionally

Type: graphic art
Provenance: Lviv Historical Museum

Information about author

Author: Stefano della Bella
Artist's lifetime: 1610–1644
Country: Italy
Biography: Stefano della Bella was one of the most prolific Italian engravers and draftsmen of the 17th century. The artist created thousands of unique graphic works that accurately depicted the events of his time, such as theatrical performances of the Florentine nobility, Thirty Years' War conflicts, and ordinary life on the streets of Rome and Paris. The engraver was born in Florence in 1610. Due to the premature death of his father, the young man was compelled to study as a jeweller. Still, he quickly grew interested in drawing, imitating the technique of the prominent French graphic artist Jacques Callot. At this time, he gained the patronage of the Medici family, who continued to favour the artist throughout his life. Supported by the Medici, della Bella went to Rome in 1633, where he received important commissions almost immediately. Numerous sketches of park ensembles, villas, palaces and ancient ruins were also created there, which he later used for his engravings. At the request of the Medici family, he was obliged to return to Florence in 1637. In Rome, della Bella met the French graphic artists Henriet Israel and Francois L'Anglois, thanks to whom he moved to Paris in 1639. The engraver could quickly establish cooperation with the three most important Parisian publishers: Pierre Mariette, Henriet Israel, and Francois L'Anglois. In Paris, the artist became well-known by creating various etchings, which collectors much sought after. He returned to Florence in 1650, where he resided until he died in 1664. During this period, Stefano della Bella diversified his favourite subjects, producing an excellent series of hunting scenes, impressive landscapes with Roman ruins, and detailed depictions of equestrians.

Object description

The etching "Carousel" is an illustration by Stefano della Bella for the book "Il Mondo Festeggiante". The author depicts a carousel – a military equestrian competition around Mount Atlas. The competition was held on the stage of a theatre in a Florentine palace on the occasion of the marriage of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III de' Medici to Marguerite Louise d'Orléans in 1661. In the foreground is a terrace that connects the palace's two wings. In the depths of the composition, in front of the palace, there is an amphitheatre whose stage is closed at the top by an architectural structure with an arch and the coats of arms of the Medici and Bourbons. The scene in the centre shows a mountain with two carriages at its foot. Soldiers – infantrymen and cavalrymen – stand in rows. The artist's patron, Cosimo III de' Medici, commissioned the engraving in Florence in 1661.

Inscriptions

At the bottom: "il Principe de Squadre". On the left: "SDBella 1661".

Legal regulation

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery

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