Bella, Stefano della Lot n° 5021

Les cinq Morts. 5 etchings. Each ca. 18,7 x 15 cm. Circa 1648. 87-89 III, 90 IV, 91 III. Wz. rosary (cf. Heawood 228: Paris 1655). Among the most impressive early modern depictions of death is undoubtedly the present series by Stefano della Bella. In his interpretation of medieval death dances, Death appears as a gruesome, screaming skeletal figure that ruthlessly as abruptly snatches people of all ages from life. Della Bella began work on the first four plates around 1648, towards the end of his ten-year stay in France, which is why the Cimetière des Innocents and the tower of Notre Dame des Bois can be recognized in the background of two scenes - these familiar elements must have seemed all the more terrifying to contemporary viewers. At the end of his life, the artist turned to the series again, but was only able to complete the fifth plate before his demise. - All with the address of Vincent. The complete series in quite excellent, the Valeurs nuanced reproduced prints with partly fine margins around the facet. Mainly only faintly dusty and isolated foxing, the upper corners partially (finger?) stained, three sheets with partly minimally thin spots in the corners due to mounting, "Death and the Old Man" with tiny marginal tear lower left and with small spots in the lower right margin, there the paper also partially thin, mounting traces and remnants verso, other minor traces of use, otherwise in very good and and mostly uniform condition. The complete series rare.