View of a part of Calais (Veue d'un coin de Calais), a man sitting on an overturned canoe on the pier in center, men cooking over a fire to left, various figures and two ships docked in the background, from 'Views of seaports' (Vues de ports de mar)

Art Historical Context

Stefano della Bella, a Italian etcher active in 17th-century France, captures the lively rhythm of maritime life in his 1647 etching *View of a Part of* (Veue d'un coin de). Part of the series *Views of Seaports* (Vues de ports mar), this intimate scene from the port city of Calais— a key gateway between France and England—shows everyday workers in action: a man rests on an overturned canoe at the pier's center, others cook over an open fire to the left, amid scattered figures, docked ships, and the vast sea beyond. Della Bella's etching technique shines here, with its fine, intricate lines c...

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...