Stefano della Bella (1610-1664)

Details

Stefano della Bella (1610-1664)

The Head of an Elephant (recto); A Hound's Head (verso); and The Head of an Elephant in profile to the left

black chalk, pen and brown ink, the corners cut (1), the left corners cut (2)
84 x 97mm. and 82 x 96mm.two on one mount (2)

Provenance

Thomas Tomkins; Royde, 25-28 February 1818, part of lot 289 (31 gns. to Holroyd).Robert Holford and by descent to Sir George Holford; Sotheby's 22 May 1928.
Anon. sale, Christie's, 18 March 1975, lot 15, illustrated (£840).

Lot Essay

The first drawing is related to plate 16 of the Diversi Capricci, A. De Vesme, Stefano della Bella, New York, 1971, no. 143, illustrated. The series of twenty-four plates was dated 1648 by De Vesme, but Dearborn Phyllis Massar pointed out that it must date to the previous year as its publisher, François Langlois, died in 1647.

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