Stefano Della Bella drawing

STEFANO DELLA BELLA                   Florence 1610 - 1664 Florence

A Study of the bones of a hand and forearm.

Drawing in pen and brown ink over black chalk. The attribution of the drawing was first proposed by Catherine Monbeig-Goguel, and seconded in a letter by Sandro Bellesi.

While Della Bella’s activity as an etcher comprised almost every subject from ornament to battle scenes and memento mori subjects, he was also a draftsman of considerable ability and range of subject.  Although many of his drawings are small and delicate, our study of bones is larger and unusual in the choice of the hand as subject.  Its powerful mise en page is exceptional.

390 x 265 mm    15 3/8 x 10 7/16 inches