Stefano della Bella
Italian, 1610-1664
Equestrian Ballet in the Amphitheater of the Boboli Gardens
INV-1370
Stefano della Bella
Italian, 1610-16641661
Equestrian Ballet in the Amphitheater of the Boboli Gardens
Stefano della Bella Italian, 1610-1664 →etchingprint
Date
1661
Medium
Etching on ivory laid paper
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.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
The Amanda S. Johnson and Marion J. Livingston Endowment
Grand Duke Ferdinand II of Tuscany commissioned Ferdinando Tacca (1619-1686) to design the festivities in honor of his son's marriage, which was held over twenty days. Their ambitious plans for an equestrian ballet required the enlargement of the Boboli Gardens amphitheater. Here, Cosimo III is shown as Hercules on horseback wearing an elaborate headdress, and Atlas stands in the center of the arena. After announcing his reason for being there, Atlas and his globe split in two, becoming Mount Atlas surrounded by the Four Continents, and they sing praise to the newlyweds before the equestrian ballet begins.
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