Funeral of Prince Francesco de Medici

Della Bella employed the etching technique, incising lines into a copper plate before transferring the image onto laid paper.

Della Bella employed the etching technique, incising lines into a copper plate before transferring the image onto laid paper. His handling of line conveys both the intricate architectural setting and the multitude of figures with clarity. The composition reflects Baroque sensibilities through its dynamic arrangement, dramatic contrasts, and ornamental richness, hallmarks of the period’s visual language.

Created in 1637, the print belongs to a prolific output that includes over a thousand etchings and countless drawings by della Bella, though only a single painting is recorded under his name. The work survives in several later impressions, indicating that it was re‑struck after the original plate’s initial use, a common practice for popular prints of the era.