L'entrée d'une forteresse, frontispiece for "Divers disseins tant pour la paix que pour la guerre", 1638-1643
Stefano della Bellaexpand_more
Etchingexpand_more
Gift of James A. Bergquist, Boston, in honor of Rachel McGarryexpand_more 2021.69.12
Not on Viewexpand_more
This is the frontispiece to a series of prints meant to reflect war and peace. As such, it balances the two by showing a military installation during a moment of peace. Stefano della Bella was a prolific printmaker. Due to his wide-ranging subject matter, interest in all walks of life, and eye for detail, he provides a valuable eye-witness account of his generation, one which endured the horrors of the Thirty Years War. He made this print during a decade-long sojourn in Paris.
Here he offers a view of an old fortress and life around it. We stand at a distance before a gate flanked by two round towers. Weeds and small trees grow from the masonry. The portal has a drop-gate and a stairway leading to a guardroom above. In the foreground a soldier dressed in a dandified outfit converses with a halbardier. To the left are four cannons aimed across the moat and towards a walled access road. In the distance are the angular walls typical of Renaissance fortresses built a hundred years earlier. It is a lazy day. A soldier with a long pole stands. Seemingly more attentive is a nearby dog that sniffs another dog's butt. To the right, in the foreground, is a large round tower. In front of it sits a woman patiently delouisng a child while tending a cookfire. Nearby are five armored pikemen--three standing and two seated. To the left of them are two carts bearing large casks. Further on towards the portal, a group of soldiers gather around a drum that seems to have become an impromptu card table. Above the wall and within the fortress is an elevated area with a cannon and a soldier. There is also a large bell, ready to announce changes of the guard or to sound the alarm should trouble arise.
At the botton of the image is a generic crowned coat-of-arms surrounded by cannons, cannonballs, a torch, guns, swords, and flags. A banderole reads "ET PACE -- ET BELLO. Clearly the strategy here is peace through strength.
Details
- Title
- L'entrée d'une forteresse, frontispiece for "Divers disseins tant pour la paix que pour la guerre"
- Artist Life
- Italian (Florence), 1610–1664
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2021.69.12
- Catalogue Raisonne
- DeVesme/Massar 264 II/II
- Curator Approved
This record is from historic documentation and may not have been reviewed by a curator, so may be inaccurate or incomplete. Our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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