archway with two wide towers in middle ground, center; soldiers with long lances and fire at right; other figures in front of archway; dogs, LLC; coat of arms at bottom center with flags; text at bottom

L'entrée d'une forteresse, frontispiece for "Divers disseins tant pour la paix que pour la guerre", 1638-1643

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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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archway with two wide towers in middle ground, center; soldiers with long lances and fire at right; other figures in front of archway; dogs, LLC; coat of arms at bottom center with flags; text at bottom