Saint Jean Gualbert trampling a monster with two human heads and a serpentine body, a flying demon in background to right, an angel with a cross flying to left, from 'Frontispiece and four scenes from the life of Saint John Gualbert' (Frontispice et quatre vignettes pour une vie de Saint Jean Gualbert)

Art Historical Context

This etching by Stefano della Bella, created in 164, captures a dramatic moment from the of Saint John Gual, the 11-century founder of the Vallrosan Order. The saint is shown triumphantly trampling a monstrous creature with two human heads and a serpentine body, while a demon flees to the right and an angel bearing a cross approaches from the left. As the frontispiece to a series of four scenes illustrating the saint’s life, the print blends vivid religious narrative with the artist’s signature flair for dynamic movement and intricate detail. Della Bella, a Florentine printmaker active during...

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...