Martyrdom of St. Cecilia

Born in Florence in 1610, Stefano della Bella began his career in the studio of a goldsmith, but apart from this early apprenticeship, he was basically self-taught. Before the age of twenty, he had allied himself with the powerful Medici court, which provided him with patronage throughout his career. With the Medici's support, in 1633, della Bella traveled to Rome where he remained until 1639. He already showed an impressively diverse range as well as the highest drawing skills. Like a devoted photographer intent on capturing the major events of his time, della Bella recorded the lavish theatrical pageants of the nobility, daily life and the battlefield realities of the Thirty Years War.

In 1639 della Bella left for Paris where he lived until 1650. There he worked for the publishers Israël Henriet and François Langlois, as well as undertaking work for Pierre Mariette and Cardinals Richelieu and Mazarin. His passion for recording contemporary life is confirmed in the diversity of figures found in his prints (one print showing a view of the Pont Neuf in Paris includes no less than 451 discretely formed figures) which range from military scenes to the French countryside.

Returning to Italy in 1650, della Bella produced work for the Medici court in Florence as well as contributing to designs for masques. He died in 1664. Hugely admired in his lifetime, Della Bella fell into neglect in the 19th and early-to-mid 20th century but more recently has been highly regarded again by art historians. This was reflected in the National Art Gallery's acquisition in 1970 of this pen, ink and red chalk drawing to complement its holdings of della Bella's prints. 

In his catalogue <em>Old Master Drawings from the National Collections</em> (1983), Peter Tomory described this as 'One of the rare drawings of a religious subject by the artist. Its style, looser and its scale larger in proportion, points to a date late in his Paris period 1646-50, when he was much impressed with Rembrandt's etchings.' The scene depicted shows the martyrdom of the kneeling St Cecilia, who is sandwiched between two assailants, one of whom holds a sword and grabs her head.  Seconds later he would stab her three times in the head. It is likely that the rather pompous looking seated figure at top right depicts the Roman prefect, Turcius Almachius, who condemned Cecilia to death.

http://www.getty.edu/art/collection/artists/11897/stefano-della-bella-italian-1610-1664/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Cecilia

Peter Tomory, <em>Old Master Drawings from the National Collections</em> (1983)

Dr Mark Stocker    Curator, Historical International Art     June 2017