Stefano della Bella’s etching, “Stag Hunt”, c1643

Stefano della Bella (1610–1664)

“Stag Hunt”, c1643 (1640–45), plate 5 from the series of 12 plates, “Diverses Paisages” (“not to be confused with a series of the same name containing four plates, produced c.1641” as advised by the Curator of the BM [1871,0513.709]), published by Israël Henriet (c1590–1661) in Paris.

Etching on fine laid paper trimmed close to the image borderline and backed with a support sheet.

Size: (sheet) 11.3 x 26 cm; (image borderline not including the text box) 10.4 x 25.8 cm

Inscribed on plate below the image borderline: (right) "Israel excud. Cum privilegio Regis. 5"

De Vesme/Massar 1971 761.II (A de Vesme 1971, revised by Phyllis D.Massar, “Stefano della Bella”, New York)

The British Museum offers the following description of this print:

“Plate 5; stag hunt; the stag to right, fleeing towards left through a river and pursued by several hounds and riders on horseback, with a man holding a hunting spear and with a dog standing to left to stop them; with trees behind and to left.”

(https://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1499336&partId=1&searchText=1871,0513.709&page=1)

Condition: crisp and well-printed impression on fine laid paper trimmed close to the image borderline and backed with a support sheet of archival (millennium quality) washi paper. There is a small loss in the sky at the upper left (almost invisible) otherwise the sheet is very good condition.

I am selling this interesting landscape where the treatment of the trees helps to explain the portrayed narrative of a hunt—note for example how the trees shown above the running stag are rendered with horizontal strokes whereas the trees on the left to which the poor animal is making its escape are rendered in a turmoil of waving rhythms—for the total price of AU$170 (currently US$122.72/EUR106.97/GBP95.59 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this remarkable landscape, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold