Stefano della Bella, Two Pikemen, around 1646, chalk, pen, and ink. Gift of Bayside Lakeshore Properties Ltd., Montreal, 1998 (41-018.52)
Exhibitions
Stefano della Bella: Prints, Patrons and Publishers
Frances K. Smith Gallery
7 March - 30 May 2004
Stefano della Bella (Florence 1610 - Florence 1664) was printmaker to some of the most prominent art patrons in 17th-century Europe. A cosmopolitan figure, he earned the patronage of the Medici family as a young man. He followed the Medici to Paris, where he enjoyed success at the court of Louis XIII and with several important print publishers, eventually returning to his native Florence. Throughout his career, Stefano drew inspiration from the rich traditions of printmaking, from both north and south of the Alps.
This exhibition drew from the Art Centre's rich permanent collection, including many prints from the Segsworth Bequest of 1944. A number of drawings were also included, revealing how the artist used lively and sensitive figure studies, drawn from life, as a foundation for his printmaking, and providing a fascinating glimpse of the working processes of a highly productive and successful 17th-century artist.
David de Witt