Details

BELLA, Stefano Della [1610-1664].. Conduite de Canons (The Line of canons).

etching. 110 x 252 mm. signed 'DB' in the plate. A very good impression, trimmed just outside plate mark (remains of old tape in upper margin outside plate mark, small pale stain in sky). Provenance: James Barry Anderson (rubberstamp on verso). Only State. From the series 'Divers dessins tant pour la paix que pour la guerre', published by Israël Henriet, Paris. The print shows on the left a long line of horse-drawn canons extending into the distance, to the extreme right a cavalier making a sign with his right hand, at centre foreground a horse whose rider has fallen to the ground, and at right foreground a dead horse, in the distance a battle on a bridge. Della Bella was born in Florence in 1610, and studied the art of etching under Remigio Cantagallina, who had also been the master of Callot. While at first the young artist undertook to emulate Callot, he soon developed a style of his own. "No artist has handled the point with more facility and finesse than Della Bella. His execution is admirable, and his touch spirited and picturesque. He designed his subjects with infinite taste, and his plates produce a clear and brilliant effect.". (Bryan's Dictionary Of Painters And Engravers). The present etching dates from Della Bella's enormously productive and successful stay in Paris, where he worked from 1640 to 1649, etching prints on a wide variety of subjects: military, landscape, theatrical, religious, architectural, &c. De Vesme/Massar 265.

$750 USD