Stefano della Bella

J. Theodor Cremer for The Cremer Trust,
sale, Amsterdam, Sotheby's, 17 November 1980, lot 140

Hinged to the mount at the upper margin. Glue stains in the upper left and right corners where sheet has been laid down. Some light brown staining around the edges of the sheet and some surface dirt. Pen and ink remains strong. Sold in a carved and gilded frame.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The present sheet of figure studies does not appear to relate directly to any of Della Bella's prints, although the seated figures wearing turbans do resemble some of the protagonists in the etching, The Mountain of Philosophy - Mount Parnassus.¹

Della Bella was a prolific draughtsman and printmaker and became one of the most admired printmakers of the seventeenth century.  His interest and passion for sketching outdoors is demonstrated by the number of drawings by him that survive.  His delicate and minute style of drawing is carefully translated into his prints, giving his etchings an incredible sense of lightness and spontaneity.

1.  P.D. Massar, Presenting Stefano della Bella, Seventeenth-Century Printmaker, exhib. cat., New York, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1971, p. 102, reproduced p. 103