Stefano della Bella
Italian, 1610-1664
Francesco de Medici, Prince of Tuscany
INV-6431
Stefano della Bella
Italian, 1610-16641634
Francesco de Medici, Prince of Tuscany
Stefano della Bella Italian, 1610-1664 →etchingprint
Date
1634
Medium
Etching and engraving on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 17.1 × 12 cm (6 3/4 × 4 3/4 in.); Sheet: 20.3 × 13.2 cm (8 × 5 1/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Hannan Fund
This posthumous portrait of Francesco de Medici was made for his funeral book. The young prince, who was studying for a career in the military arts, fell victim to the plague at the Siege of Ratisbon in 1634, when he was only 20 years old. In this portrait, Stefano della Bella depicted Francesco as a military man—both dressed in and framed by armor and a sword—with a battle taking place in the distance. The fine line work in this print is a testament to the artist’s prowess as a printmaker, particularly the delicate rendering of the prince’s face and the background fighting.
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