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This is a drawing of mythical sea creatures in a marine landscape. The central figures are depicted as mythical beings, possibly mermen, with human torsos and fish-like tails, partially submerged in water. One figure prominently holds a large seashell with text written on it. Around them are various other marine creatures and features such as a distant rocky shore, birds flying in the sky, and waves creating a dynamic setting. The drawing is detailed in line work.

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Stefano della Bella

Italian, 1610–1664

Title Page for "Ornamenti di fregi e fogliani"probably 1648

etching

Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington · 1944.5.146

Stefano della Bella made this (probably 1648), aged 38. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. More about this work

See it in the galleries

Format

Archival pigment inks on Hahnemühle Photo Rag, a 308 gsm cotton paper, with a white border.

Size
Size
20 × 16 in · image 17¾ × 6½
Paper
Hahnemühle Photo Rag, 308 gsm
Price
$56

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About this work

This is a drawing of mythical sea creatures in a marine landscape. The central figures are depicted as mythical beings, possibly mermen, with human torsos and fish-like tails, partially submerged in water. One figure prominently holds a large seashell with text written on it. Around them are various other marine creatures and features such as a distant rocky shore, birds flying in the sky, and waves creating a dynamic setting. The drawing is detailed in line work.

Description from the National Gallery of Art.

Stefano della Bella made this (probably 1648), aged 38. It is now at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

How it was made

Etching
The artist draws with a needle through a waxy coating on a copper plate, and acid bites the exposed lines. The plate is then inked, wiped and printed under pressure, so the line keeps the freedom of drawing.

Stefano della Bella

Italian, 1610–1664

Della Bella trained in Florence and became one of the finest etchers of the seventeenth century, working for the Medici and drawing inspiration from Jacques Callot. He spent about ten years in Paris from 1639, working for publishers and the court, before returning to Florence. His more than a thousand etchings range from festivals and theatre spectacles to landscapes, animals and ornament, drawn with a light, lively needle.

Written by Ochre Editions.

See all 4 works by Stefano della Bella

Rights and the museum’s record

Public domain. The National Gallery of Art has dedicated this image to the public domain under CC0, so anyone may copy, adapt and use it, for any purpose, without asking. Our prints and files are reproductions made from the museum’s image; the museum doesn’t endorse them.

Object number
1944.5.146
Credit
Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
Type
Print
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