Houses Overlooking a Port, from Views of the Port of Livorno
1654/55
Medium
Etching on paper
Dimensions
Plate: 25.3 × 35 cm (10 × 13 13/16 in.); Sheet: 29 × 38.9 cm (11 7/16 × 15 3/8 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
53210
Art Historical Context
**Houses Overlooking a, from *Views of the Port oforno*** Created by the masterful Italian etcher Stefano della Bella around 1654–55, this print captures the lively architecture hugging the bustling harbor of Livorno, a Tuscan port city in the 17th century. Della Bella, a prominent Baroque artist trained in Florence and influenced by Rembrandt's techniques, produced this as part of his *Vedute del Porto diorno* series—detailed panoramic views commissioned to celebrate the city's role as a thriving Mediterranean trade hub under Medici patronage. Livorno's status as a free port drew diverse m...
About the Artist
Stefano della Bella · 1610–1664
Stefano della Bella (1610-1664) was one of the most prolific and versatile printmakers of the Italian Baroque period, leaving behind 1,052 prints and several thousand drawings that captured the vivid essence of 17th-century European life. Born in Florence on May 18, 1610, to a family of artists, he trained initially as a goldsmith before studying painting under Cesare Dandini and etching under Rem...