Francesco de Medici, Prince of Tuscany
Medium
Etching and engraving on cream laid paper
Dimensions
Plate: 17.1 × 12 cm (6 3/4 × 4 3/4 in.); Sheet: 20.3 × 13.2 cm (8 × 5 1/4 in.)
Classification
etching
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
64313
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This posthumous portrait of Francesco de Medici was made for his funeral book. The young prince, who was studying for a career in the military arts, fell victim to the plague at the Siege of Ratisbon in 1634, when he was only 20 years old. In this portrait, Stefano della Bella depicted Francesco as a military man—both dressed in and framed by armor and a sword—with a battle taking place in the distance. The fine line work in this print is a testament to the artist’s prowess as a printmaker, part...
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...