Prints and Principles

Most of the recent posts give details about individual prints and earlier posts discuss some of the subtle principles guiding artists in making images meaningful and memorable. For prints that are unsold, click "Items still available for sale" below. All other prints are no longer available. My contact email is oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com and my Instagram username is @printsandprinciples. I have created a separate blog to show my own work: https://printsandprinciplesjamesbrown.blogspot.com

Tuesday, 6 January 2026

Stefano della Bella, “Entrance to a Fortress”, c. 1645 (2nd copy)

Stefano della Bella (1610–1664)
“Entrance to a Fortress”, circa 1645 (1642–1647)

Technical Details & Condition:

Etching on fine laid paper, trimmed with a narrow margin around the platemark and backed with a support sheet. This work is plate 2 from the series of twelve plates (including the title plate), titled “Dessins de quelques conduits de troupes” (“Troops, Weapons and Attacks”) (see De Vesme/Massar pp. 246–257). Published by Israël Henriet (c. 1590–1661) in Paris with the privilege of the French Crown, and dedicated (as inscribed on the title plate) to Henri Roger du Plessis-Liancourt (1620–1646). His coat-of-arms is depicted on the arcade wall at the right side of the print.

This impression is a richly inked and nearly faultless lifetime impression from the first state (out of three), prior to the erasure of the artist’s name inscribed on the arcade wall in the second state. The sheet’s margins show minor surface marks; otherwise, it is in excellent condition—free from tears, holes, folds, abrasions, or significant stains.

Please note that this is the second impression of this print I have listed. The previous copy, a second state impression, is still available and can be viewed here: https://www.printsandprinciples.com/2023/03/stefano-della-bellas-etching-entrance.html.

Dimensions:

• Sheet: 6.7 x 13.3 cm
• Platemark: 6.4 x 12.7 cm
• Image borderline: 5.8 x 12.4 cm

Plate Lettering:

• Inscribed on the arcade wall with the artist’s name: “Stefanus Della Bella f.”
• Numbered and lettered below the image border: (left) “2”; (right) “Israel ex. SDBella f.”

References:

• De Vesme/Massar 247 (Alexandre de Vesme & Phyllis D. Massar, “Stefano della Bella. Catalogue Raisonné”, 1971, New York, Collectors Editions, p. 84, cat. no. 247; illustrated p. 65, cat. no. 247)
• Jombert (Della Bella) 92 (Charles Antoine Jombert, 1772, “Essai d'un catalogue de l'oeuvre d'Etienne de la Belle, peintre et graveur florentin”, Paris, p. 101, cat. no. 92)
• The Rijksmuseum describes this print: https://id.rijksmuseum.nl/200449937
• The British Museum describes this print: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_1868-0612-1453

Price & Shipping:

AU$271 (approximately US$183.29 / €156.68 / £135.69), including worldwide express shipping. Import duties and taxes are the buyer’s responsibility.

If you are interested in acquiring this intriguing glimpse into a quiet moment at a guardhouse in the mid-1600s, created by one of the most renowned old master printmakers, please contact me at oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com. I will gladly send a PayPal invoice to facilitate a smooth and secure transaction.

This print has been sold