Head of an old bearded soldier wearing a helmet c. 1641
stefanodellabella
rijksmuseum
print, etching
portrait
baroque
etching
france
history-painting
This etching by Stefano della Bella, created around 1641, depicts the head of an elderly, bearded soldier wearing a helmet. The detail in the soldier's weathered face and the meticulously rendered helmet showcases della Bella's skill as a draftsman. The etching is a fine example of the Baroque style, with its focus on realism and dramatic detail. The composition is simple, yet effective, highlighting the subject's stoic expression and conveying the weight of his experience. Currently housed in the Rijksmuseum, this artwork provides insight into the military culture of 17th-century Europe.
Comments
The accomplished Florentine etcher and draftsman Stefano della Bella produced this drawing manual in France, where he spent over a decade of his career. The book, now disassembled, comprised 25 etchings and was published by della Bella’s principal French publisher Pierre Mariette. Drawing manuals were common teaching tools for artists and amateurs learning to draw in the 16th and 17th centuries. It is a kind of pattern book for the aspiring draftsmen to copy, with concise prints depicting body parts—ears, eyes, hands, feet—and a range of head studies and figure types—children, adolescents, young women, old soldiers and saints—which provide models for students seeking to master the representation of the human body.
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