Two Frieze Designs with Acanthus Scrolls combined with a Lion and Eagle on top and Two Rams below, Plate 5 from: 'Decorative friezes and foliage' (Ornamenti di fregi e fogliami)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite etching, *Two Frieze Designs withanthus Scrolls combined with a and Eagle on top and Rams below*, is Plate 5 from Stefano Bella's renowned series *Decorative Friezes and Foliage* (*Ornamenti di freg e fogliami*), around 1645–50 by Langlois. Created during the Baroque era, when opulent ornamentation flourished in European architecture and interiors, it showcases della Bella's mastery as a Florentine printmaker who trained under prominent artists like Antonio da Correggio and later worked in Paris. The compact sheet (3 1/4 × 9 1/2 in.) captures intricate designs ideal for architects, designers, and craftsmen seeking inspiration. Della Bella's etching technique shines here, rendering delicate acanthus scrolls—ancient Greco-Roman motifs symbolizing enduring life and immortality—with fluid precision, intertwined with powerful animals: a majestic lion and eagle atop, evoking strength and imperial authority, and sturdy rams below, hinting at classical themes of vitality and sacrifice. These fantastical friezes blend naturalism and fantasy, reflecting Baroque exuberance and the era's revival of antiquity for grand palaces and churches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Bequest of Phyllis Massar, 2011), this print highlights the print medium's role in disseminating decorative ideas across Europe, making elite designs accessible to a wider audience of artisans and collectors. A testament to 17th-century ingenuity, it invites us to imagine these motifs adorning gilded walls.

About the Artist

Stefano della Bella|Nicolas Langlois · 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...