1641
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Firing the Cannons is a 1641 ink by Stefano Della Bella, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This etching shows a busy scene of soldiers firing cannons by the water. Smoke billows thickly from the guns, and men in old-fashioned clothes are loading them or standing around. In the foreground, one person kneels while another sits nearby, maybe resting or waiting. The background has a few buildings and a church steeple, but the focus is on the chaos of the cannon fire. The swirling smoke and crowded figures give a sense of action and noise. This kind of dramatic scene was common in the Baroque period, where artists often showed movement and energy. Next, check out the technique called etching.
Stefano della Bella (18 May 1610 – 12 July 1664) was an Italian draughtsman and printmaker known for etchings of a great variety of subjects, including military and court scenes, landscapes, and lively genre scenes.
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