Resting Mother and Child, and Two Men, One Lifting Basket
Medium
Pen and brown ink, over graphite, on buff laid paper, laid down on cream laid paper
Dimensions
9.4 × 14.6 cm (3 3/4 × 5 3/4 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
82115
Art Historical Context
In the Prints and Drawings department of the Art Institute of Chicago resides a delicate gem by Stefano della Bella, a masterful 17th-century Italian draughtsman. Titled *Resting Mother and Child, and Two Men, One Lifting Basket* (n.d.), this intimate pen and brown ink drawing over graphite on buff laid paper measures just 9.4 × 14.6 cm. Della Bella, active in Florence and Paris during the Baroque era, was renowned for his intricate etchings and lively sketches capturing everyday scenes, often infused with dynamic movement and keen observation. The artwork depicts a tender moment of repose—a ...
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...