Adelaar, naar rechts 1646 - 1656

Stefano della Bella made this drawing of an eagle in pen and brown ink sometime in the 17th century. In this period, artists across Europe found themselves in a complex relationship with the institutions of power. While the eagle has, since Roman times, been a symbol of imperial power and military might, here, Della Bella's study renders the fearsome predator as a docile, almost vulnerable creature. The artist produced these kinds of studies for his own reference. He worked for the Medici family in Florence, and later for the French court. Artists like Della Bella were effectively embedded within the ruling classes. Their work served to glorify the patron, but also, in subtle ways, to hold a mirror up to them. The history of art is, in many ways, the history of power. When we study a work like this, we are not just looking at an image, but also at the complex web of social relations that made it possible. By consulting historical documents such as letters, diaries, and financial records, we can begin to understand the social conditions that shaped artistic production.