Who painted Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier?

Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier was painted by Stefano Della Bella in 1637.

Where can I see Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier?

Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier is held by National Gallery of Art.

What movement is Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier?

Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier is associated with Baroque.

Can I buy a print of Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier?

Museum-quality prints of Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier

Stefano Della Bella , 1637

Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier is an ink print by the Baroque artist Stefano Della Bella. It dates from 1637 and is held in the collection of the National Gallery of Art.

About this work

This etching shows a tiny deer sprinting away from a soldier on horseback. The deer looks skinny and scared. The soldier leans forward with a long sword, but he’s still far off.

Stefano Della Bella made this in 1646. He loved fast action and sharp lines. Drypoint lets him scratch fine details right into the metal plate.

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Overview

Stefano della Bella’s print Small Deer Chased by a Cavalier is an etching executed on laid paper in the early 1630s. The composition captures a fleeting moment of pursuit, with a diminutive, gaunt deer fleeing ahead of a mounted rider who leans forward, sword extended, yet remains distant.

Subject & Meaning

The image presents a narrative of chase, juxtaposing the vulnerability of the small animal with the determined advance of the cavalier. The tension between the deer's frightened posture and the rider’s forward thrust suggests themes of power, speed, and the precarious balance between hunter and prey.

Technique & Style

Della Bella employed the etching process, incising fine lines into a copper plate before printing onto laid paper. His characteristic crisp, energetic line work conveys movement, while the delicate rendering of the deer’s thin limbs and the rider’s elongated form demonstrates his facility with rapid, expressive drawing.

History & Provenance

Created in 1637, the print belongs to della Bella’s prolific output of more than a thousand etchings produced during his Florentine career. It reflects the artist’s broad interest in courtly, military, and genre subjects, and survives in several museum collections as a representative example of his narrative printmaking.

Deer Chased by Two Cavaliers, Stefano Della Bella

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Artist & collection

Artist

Stefano Della Bella

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.