Equestrian Ballet in the Amphitheater of the Boboli Gardens

Prints and Drawings

1661

Stefano della Bella
Italian, 1610-1664

Grand Duke Ferdinand II of Tuscany commissioned Ferdinando Tacca (1619-1686) to design the festivities in honor of his son’s marriage, which was held over twenty days. Their ambitious plans for an equestrian ballet required the enlargement of the Boboli Gardens amphitheater. Here, Cosimo III is shown as Hercules on horseback wearing an elaborate headdress, and Atlas stands in the center of the arena. After announcing his reason for being there, Atlas and his globe split in two, becoming Mount Atlas surrounded by the Four Continents, and they sing praise to the newlyweds before the equestrian ballet begins.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Prints and Drawings

Artist: Stefano della Bella
Title: Equestrian Ballet in the Amphitheater of the Boboli Gardens
Place: Italy (Artist's nationality)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: Made 1661
Medium: Etching on ivory laid paper
Dimensions: Image/plate: 29.2 × 44.5 cm (11 1/2 × 17 9/16 in.); Sheet: 39.2 × 54.8 cm (15 7/16 × 21 5/8 in.)
Credit Line: The Amanda S. Johnson and Marion J. Livingston Endowment
Reference Number: 1995.28
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