Equestrian Ballet in the Amphitheater of the Boboli Gardens - Stefano della Bella

The Amanda S. Johnson and Marion J. Livingston Endowment

"Equestrian Ballet in the Amphitheater of the Boboli Gardens" by Stefano della Bella (1661) Etching on ivory laid paper.

Commentary

"Equestrian Ballet in the Amphitheater of the Boboli Gardens" by Stefano della Bella (1661) invites a close look at how form and feeling work together. The print-based method rewards close viewing, where line, texture, and co ntrast do most of the expressive work. Themes to notice include etching. This piece is held in the source collection's Prints and Drawings collection. Stefano della Bella is the artist behind this work. A useful anchor for reading the piece: Stefano della Bella Italian, 1610-1664. The work is cataloged within a Italy cultural context. How to look at this work: It is cataloged as etching, which gives a clue to how the museum frames the object. Its medium (Etching on ivory laid paper) affects texture, durability, and how detail reads at different distances. Its listed dimensions (Image/plate: 29.2 × 44.5 cm (11 1/2 × 17 9/16 in.); Sheet: 39.2 × 54.8 cm (15 7/16 × 21 5/8 in.)) suggest how intimate or monumental it may feel in person. Subject cues from the catalog include etching. Compare this reading with the museum record at the source collection: https://www.artic.edu/artworks/137054

Sources: Art Institute of Chicago; Art Institute of Chicago / Public Records; Art Institute of Chicago Collection Data