Fragments from ancient monuments, plate 1 from "Roman landscapes and ruins" (Paysages et ruines de Rome)

During Della Bella’s stay in Rome from 1633 to 1639, he filled sketchbooks with drawings of ancient ruins and surrounding landscapes. The sketches served as inspiration for this series of thirteen etchings, which he completed around 1646, after he moved to Paris. Della Bella returned to this subject matter in 1656, when he completed six larger, more detailed etchings of Rome.


In five of the etchings in the present series, Della Bella includes easily recognizable and often represented ancient sites and monuments: the Campo Vaccino, the Colosseum, the Arch of Constantine, the Pyramid of Caius Cestius, and the Diocletian baths. Though depictions of ruins can often appear melancholy or evoke a sense of past glory, Della Bella animates each of his scenes with shepherds, horsemen, pedestrians, and animals. None of the monuments are seen in their totality. They appear to one side of the composition or in the background, thereby serving as a backdrop to the daily lives of Roman citizens. Thus, Della Bella offers a glimpse of contemporary Roman life, which exists around the vestiges of an earlier civilization.


When compared with contemporary views and maps of Rome, Della Bella’s representations of the monuments are accurate, while in the landscape he is more imaginative. He creates idyllic landscapes where nature takes precedence. Herds of animals roam, waterfalls cascade, and strong winds cause travelers to huddle on their horses. The juxtaposition of the idyllic with the documentary would have made these prints particularly intriguing to those interested in ancient Rome and those hoping to travel to Italy.