Cartouche from the series Nouvelles inventions de Cartouches

The work of Stefano della Bella not only influenced his contemporaries, but also served as an irreplaceable source of inspiration for rococo artists. He was born on May 18, 1610 in Florence, the fifth child of Dianora Bonaiuti and Francesco di Girolamo della Bella. After apprenticing in a goldsmith’s workshop, he began working for painter Giovanni Battista Vanni in 1624 and then for Cesaro Dandini, where he decided to pursue a printmaker’s career.