Stefano della Bella’s etching, “Young woman facing right wearing a feathered cap", c1640 (2nd copy)

Stefano della Bella (1610–1664)

“Young woman facing right wearing a feathered cap” (descriptive title only) (aka “mid-bust of a young woman in profile wearing a hat topped with feathers”), c1640 (1620–1664), plate 15 from the series of 16 plates, “Livre pour Apprendre à Dessiner” (The Book for Learning to Draw), published by Israël Henriet (c1590–1661) in Paris.

Etching on fine laid buff paper with a narrow margin.

Size: (sheet) 8.6 x 6.7 cm; (plate) 8.1 x 6.2 cm

Inscribed on plate at lower right: “Israel excud.”

State i (of i) a lifetime impression based on the quality of line showing no sign of wear to the printing plate.

De Vesme/Massar 306 (Alexandre de Vesme & Phyllis D. Massar, 1971, “Stefano della Bella. Catalogue Raisonné”, New York, Collectors Editions, [Text] p. 90, cat. no. 306, [Illust.] p. 80, cat. no. 306); Jombert (Della Bella) 146-15 (Charles Antoine Jombert 1772, “Essai d'un catalogue de l'oeuvre d'Etienne de la Belle, peintre et graveur florentin”, Paris, p. 152, cat. no. 146-15).

The British Museum and the Rijksmuseum offer descriptions of this print:

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1871-0513-110;

http://hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.collect.76841.

Condition: an excellent, well-printed impression, in a superb/near pristine condition for its age with no tears, holes, folds, abrasions or stains or foxing.

I am selling this delicately etched head of a young woman with the curling feathers adorning her hat exemplifying the Baroque period style of the time when the small print was executed, for AU$244 (currently US$170.75/EUR153.11/GBP127.42 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 tiny but very beautiful etching by one of the most famous of the old master printmakers, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

Note that this is the second impression of this etching that I have listed. The previous impression has been sold.

This print has been sold